Huge double Burnley boost expected in Leeds United, Sheffield United chase with automatics landscape change
The picture is expected to change in the Championship automatic promotion race.
A huge double Burnley boost is expected in the club’s chase of Leeds United and Sheffield United for an automatic’s landscape change.
Scott Parker’s third-placed Clarets now find themselves eight points behind Championship leaders Leeds and five adrift of second-placed Sheffield United but the next five days offer a Burnley chance to close.
Having been in FA Cup action at the weekend, the Clarets now have a game in hand which presents itself on Tuesday evening with a trip to fifth-bottom Cardiff City.
The bookmakers are confident that Parker’s side will leave with all three points as the Clarets are odds-on with every firm in being no bigger than 10-11 but as short as 17-20 with some firms.
A victory would see Burnley close to within two points of Sheffield United and five points behind Leeds on the same amount of games played.
But a five-point gap to Leeds is expected to then become just a two-point buffer through Burnley playing on Saturday afternoon ahead of Leeds visiting Portsmouth on Sunday lunchtime.
For Burnley, Tuesday night’s clash at Cardiff is followed by a Saturday afternoon 3pm kick-off at home to second-bottom Luton Town.
As part of another confident vote from the bookmakers, the Clarets are no bigger than 4-7 but as short as 4-9 to take all three points.
Two victories over the next five days would leave them just two points behind Leeds but with Daniel Farke’s Whites having a game in hand which would then present itself at Portsmouth.
By then, the bookies expect Leeds only to be top on goal difference after a Sheffield United win on Saturday afternoon.
The Blades have a 3pm kick-off against Preston North End at Bramall Lane for which they are strong 4-6 favourites for.
If the bookmakers are correct, it means the automatics landscape will look very different by the time Leeds kick-off at Fratton Park, much then depending on how the Whites fare in that game in hand.