Sunderland vs Sheffield United predictions, betting tips and odds: Black Cats can bounce back

With Paddy Power's latest welcome offer, new customers who bet on Sunderland vs Sheffield United can get a huge £50 in free bet builder bets.

Click here to claim that offer with Paddy Power or read on for our Sunderland vs Sheffield United predictions.

Where to watch Sunderland vs Sheffield United

You can watch Sunderland vs Sheffield United in the Championship at 8pm on Wednesday, January 1, live on Sky Sports Football.

Match prediction & best bet

Sunderland
1pt 13-10 general

Recommended Offer

4/5

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

Get £50 In Bet Builder Free Bets When You Place A £10 Bet

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

• Lengthen the chances of your free Bet Builders with Super Sub

CLAIM OFFER

Tap for more details. 18+ T&Cs apply

• Detailed stats available for horse racing and football
• Early payout if your football team goes two goals ahead

New Customer offer. Place a min £10 bet on Football on odds of min 1.5 (1/2), get £50 in Free Bet Builders after the qualifying bet has been settled. Rewards valid for 90 days. Only deposits via cards & Apple Pay will qualify. T&Cs apply. Please Gamble Responsibly.

You can bet on Sunderland vs Sheffield United and get £50 in bet builder free bets with Paddy Power

Sunderland vs Sheffield United odds

Here are the latest odds ahead of Sunderland vs Sheffield United in the Championship on January 1, 2025

Odds correct at time of publishing

Want more top football betting advice? Make sure you take a look at Racing Post Sport's tips for more of the latest picks from our experts.

Sunderland vs Sheffield United predictions

Sunderland are unbeaten at home in the Championship this season and the Black Cats can make a winning start to 2025 when they welcome promotion rivals Sheffield United to the Stadium of Light.

December was a decent month for Sunderland, who picked up 11 points from six games, although it finished on a sour note with a 1-0 reverse at Stoke on Sunday.

Tom Cannon's injury-time strike was decisive in the Potteries but it was extremely harsh on the Wearsiders, who dominated for long periods and won the shot count at the bet365 Stadium 22-11.

Sunderland head coach Regis le Bris was keen to take positives from his team's performance, which was at a high level despite the absence of several injured players.

There won't be much scope for Le Bris to switch things around against Sheffield United on New Year's Day but he will almost certainly hand a recall to Patrick Roberts, who tops the club's assist charts with five.

Sunderland played with excellent energy against Stoke, and if they can bring similar levels of intensity against the Blades it might be enough to secure a more positive result.

Sheffield United are also dealing with a lot of injuries and their squad looks less well equipped to cope.

They drew 1-1 at home to West Brom on Sunday in an even game, although the Baggies finished stronger and created the clearer chances.

United manager Chris Wilder has spoken candidly about the need for reinforcements, but he may have to wait for those to arrive before his tired team get off the mark in 2025.

Key stat

Sunderland have won seven of 11 home Championship matches this season.

Read more football predictions . . .

• Brentford vs Arsenal predictions, betting tips and odds: Gunners to start 2025 in style 
• Dan Childs' expert predictions and betting tips for the New Year's Day fixtures in the EFL 
• Football accumulator tips for Wednesday, January 1: Back our 12-1 acca with Ladbrokes

Sunderland vs Sheffield United team news

Sunderland
Chris Rigg was injured on Boxing Day and has joined Dan Ballard, Jenson Seelt, Niall Huggins, Alan Browne, Salis Abdul Samed, Tommy Watson, Ahmed Abdullahi and Romaine Mundle in a crowded treatment room.

Sheffield United
Tyrese Campbell, Femi Seriki, Harry Souttar, Ollie Arblaster and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi are sidelined for the visitors. Vinicius Souza missed Sunday's 1-1 draw at home to West Brom.

Probable teams

Sunderland (4-2-3-1): Patterson; Hume, Mepham, O'Nien, Cirkin; Neil, Bellingham; Roberts, Aouchiche, Mayenda; Isidor.
Subs: Aleksic, Alese, Connolly, Hjelde, Rusyn, Johnson, Jones.

Sheffield United (4-2-3-1): Cooper; Gilchrist, Ahmedhodzic, Robinson, Burrows; T Davies, Peck; Brooks, O'Hare, Hamer; Moore.
Subs: A Davies, Baptiste, Brewster, Marsh, McCallum, Norrington-Davies, One.

Recommended Offer

4/5

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

Get £50 In Bet Builder Free Bets When You Place A £10 Bet

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

• Lengthen the chances of your free Bet Builders with Super Sub

CLAIM OFFER

Tap for more details. 18+ T&Cs apply

• Detailed stats available for horse racing and football
• Early payout if your football team goes two goals ahead

New Customer offer. Place a min £10 bet on Football on odds of min 1.5 (1/2), get £50 in Free Bet Builders after the qualifying bet has been settled. Rewards valid for 90 days. Only deposits via cards & Apple Pay will qualify. T&Cs apply. Please Gamble Responsibly.

Bet on Sunderland vs Sheffield United and get £50 in free bet builder bets with Paddy Power

Click for free bets and betting offers from the Racing Post

Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing and sports betting.