Saturday's 3pm Championship predictions and football betting tips: Black Cats expected to push on

Best bets

Sunderland
3pm Saturday
2pts 21-20 bet365, Betfair, Hills

Coventry or draw double chance
3pm Saturday
1pt 23-20 Hills

Best bets for Saturday's Championship matches

Sunderland's flying start to the campaign has seen them open up a five-point gap at the top of the Championship standings and after taking 13 points from the last 15 available, the Black Cats can add another victory away at struggling QPR.

Even the most optimistic of Sunderland fans would not have expected the team that finished 16th last season to have made such an impressive start under new head coach Regis Le Bris, but a return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017 now has to represent a realistic goal.

No team has picked up more points (12) or wins (four) on the road in this season's Championship and Sunderland, who have beaten Hull and Luton on their travels since the last international break, should have too much for QPR.

QPR have won just one of their 12 league matches this season and sit second bottom of the standings, three points adrift of safety.

The successful end to last season they enjoyed under Marti Cifuentes feels like a distant memory and their home record is of particular concern - they have not won at MATRADE Loftus Road since April.

Sunderland have triumphed 3-1 and 3-0 on their last two trips to QPR and they offer plenty of value to record another victory on Saturday.

Another team that could enjoy some away success is Coventry, who will travel to Middlesbrough buoyed by their sensational 3-2 comeback win at home to Luton last weekend.

That kind of result, which was sealed with Haji Wright's injury-time goal, is one that can kickstart a team's season and Coventry are unbeaten in six against Boro, winning the previous three, including a 3-1 success on their last visit to the Riverside on New Year's Day.

Boro did beat Sheffield United in their last home fixture, but lost to Bristol City before that and have not registered back-to-back league victories at the Riverside this season. They may be vulnerable favourites and Coventry are worth supporting in the double chance market.

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