Henry Roldán
After a long season in the Championship four teams are fighting for a place in next year’s Premier League and two of them will be facing off in a thrilling Sunderland vs Luton Town match, scheduled to be played this coming Saturday in the first leg game of the playoff semifinals.
The local team heads into this match with an undefeated streak of nine games that helped them earn the last spot as sixth in the standings. The Hatters, meanwhile, finished third in the standings, having gone undefeated in their last 13 games.
It is worth noting that the two previous between these clubs in the regular phase of the Championship ended in a 1-1 draw. Without further ado, JefeBet brings you the best preview of this stellar match between Sunderland vs Luton Town.
Predictions, Picks, and Betting Odds for the Sunderland vs Luton Town EFL Championship Playoffs Semi-Finals First Leg Game on May 13, 2023
- Where: Stadium of Light – Sunderland, England.
- When: Saturday, May 13, 2023, 12:30 PM E.T.
- Moneyline: Sunderland (+160) / Tie (+215) / Luton Town (+190).
- Over/Under (2.5): Over (+125) / Under (-165)
- Both teams score: Yes (-115) / No (-110)
All odds are provided by Draftkings.
Betting on Sunderland
Sunderland ended up qualifying for the promotion Playoffs with a spectacular finish to the season that consisted of nine consecutive unbeaten games, including four wins in that span.
The Black Cats finished in sixth place with 69 points, the same number of points as Blackburn Rovers, who were knocked out of this stage on goal difference.
Tony Mowbray’s side finished with a +13 goal difference thanks to being the fourth-highest scoring club in the Championship with 68 goals, 16 of them in their unbeaten run.
However, it was the substantial improvement in their defense what helped the local team qualify to this semi-finals. Despite conceding 55 goals, the third highest number in the tournament’s top 10, they conceded only 10 goals in their final stretch, four of them in a single match.
It is important to highlight that Sunderland must improve at home if they are to get a good result on Saturday. Although they have gone five games without losing, four of those matches ended in draws, while in the last ten matches in front of their home fans they have only won on three occasions.
Possible Lineup (4-2-3-1): Anthony Patterson; Lynden Gooch, Trai Hume, Luke O’Nien, Dennis Cirkin; Daniel Neil, Eduard Michut; Patrick Roberts, Amad Diallo, Jack Clarke; Joe Gelhardt.
Betting on Luton Town
Had it not been for Sheffield United’s great season and the large number of draws they recorded in the campaign, Luton Town could currently be quietly looking forward to the start of the next Premier League.
However, Rob Edwards’ side will have to play in the always difficult promotion Playoffs after finishing third with 80 points, 11 points behind Sheffield Wednesday, after finishing with 17 draws on their record, the highest number in the Championship.
While the Hatters have not lost any of their last 11 games, five of their last nine have finished level on goals with their opponents, something which of course took its toll on their fight against Sheffield Wednesday.
In terms of strength, Luton Town finished the season as the second-lowest scoring club in the Championship with 39 goals conceded. In fact, in only three of the 46 games played this year did the opposing team score more than two goals.
Another important point for them is that they were the second best performing team away from home. Out of a possible 69 points, they managed to get 41 points, and no one conceded fewer goals on the road than the 18 they conceded.
Possible lineup (3-5-2): Ethan Horvath; Sonny Bradley, Tom Lockyer, Amari’i Bell; Cody Drameh, Luke Berry, Jordan Clark, Marvelous Nakamba, Alfie Doughty; Carlton Morris, Elijah Adebayo.
JefeBet Prediction
The two matches between these teams in the regular round of the Championship were quite even and there is no reason to think that on this occasion everything will be defined next week in the second leg.
While Sunderland’s attack is very powerful, their home performance was less than optimal, as they struggled to perform in tight games.
For their part, Luton Town do not score as many goals but have one of the strongest defenses on the circuit. In addition, its performance on the road was exceptional.
Prediction: Under (SUN 1 – LUT 1).
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