Sheffield United VS Sheffield Wednesday Match Prediction

This edition of the Steel City Derby will mark the 89th meeting between the two Sheffield clubs.  So far, It has been remarkably tight.  Wednesday just about edge it with 30 wins, while United have 29 victories, and the draw has occurred 29 times as well. Last season, United got a win and a draw against Wednesday.  Here's a look at the last five results:

Jan 12, 2018: United 0-0 Wednesday
Sep 24, 2017: Wednesday 2-4 United
Feb 26, 2012: Wednesday 1-0 United (League One)
Oct 16, 2011: United 2-2 Wednesday (L1)
Apr 18, 2010: Wednesday 1-1 United

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SHFU vs SWFC Betting Tips and Odds

Bet365 have the following odds available for this match:

Sheffield United are at 1.50 to win, a draw is at 4.00, and a Sheffield Wednesday win is at 7.00.

United come into this match in third in the Championship table at the moment despite having had a bit of a poor run in the past few matches.  The Blades are just a point behind joint-leaders Leeds and Norwich in the race for the automatic playoff places, so a victory here would take them top for at least the time being.  They also have four points above the seventh place side right now, meaning a win would see them keep a buffer over the promotion playoff places.

Wednesday, meanwhile, are in a lowly 17th place at the moment.  The Owls have fallen on hard times recently, falling off the pace in the battle for the promotion places, which is where they were about a month ago.  Now they are six points off that battle, and while it doesn't sound like very much, it's got to be looking less and less likely that they can turn their fortunes around if this run keeps up.  They've only got four points between themselves and the bottom three, so a loss here wouldn't give the board much to think about in truth.

At home, United are in a four-way tie for first in the Championship with 17 points from eight matches.  In that space, they have only lost once.  They have been very good in front of goal, scoring twice on average, but they have let in a little more than one a game, so that is something that needs a tweak.  As for Wednesday, they have a middling record of nine points on the road in eight outings thus far.  The Owls have yet to draw away from home, but they do have two wins from their last four trips, so that is a little bit of good news.

Billy Sharp to score either first or last is at 3/1 via Ladbrokes.

No for both teams to score is set at 1.86 at Betfair.

Sheff Utd vs Sheff Wednesday Prediction

Five losses in a row is never a good thing, but if that fifth loss is one to a direct rival, then you can pretty much say goodbye.  That's what looks certain here, as United dominate Wednesday to keep their poor run going.  

Correct Score Prediction: Sheff United 2-0 Sheff Wednesday

Sheff United Team News

Chris Wilder will have a full team for this match by the looks of things, with the obvious exception being that defender Chris Basham will miss out with suspension yet again.

Sheff United Key Man

While forward man Leon Clarke will have Owls' fans scared after scoring twice against them last season, it should be Billy Sharp that has them worried this time around.  The 32 year old veteran has already notched 10 goals this term, which puts him just one off the top of the Championship Golden Boot race currently.  Wing back Enda Stevens is another to keep a watch on.  The Irishman has four assists so far to lead the Blades.

Sheff United Team Form

United have two losses, two wins, and a draw in their last five matches:

1-0 loss at Nottingham Forest
4-2 home win vs Wigan
1-1 home draw vs Stoke
2-1 loss at Derby County
1-0 home win vs Hull City

Sheff United Predicted Starting Line up

Expected Line up: 3-5-2

Sheff Wednesday Team News

Jos Luhukay doesn't have much going for him right now, but the manager of the Owls does have a full team to pick from for this rivalry match.

Sheff Wednesday Key Man

Over a year ago, it was Lucas Joao that helped equalize the game against United at 2-2 thanks to a goal.  Now, this season, Wednesday will be looking back to the Portuguese star to inspire them again.  He leads the side with five goals on the season and also has an assist, and looks one of the few to drive them forward at the moment.  The other player to watch is at the back, and it's Daniel Pudil.  The Czech was pulled early last time out after they shipped four goals, so he could be targeted by the Blades here at Bramall Lane.

Sheff Wednesday Team Form

Wednesday have four losses and a win in their last five matches:

0-4 home loss vs Norwich
3-1 loss at Birmingham City
3-0 loss at QPR
1-2 home loss vs Middlesbrough
1-2 win at Bristol City

Sheff Wednesday Predicted Starting Line up

Expected Line up: 4-4-2

While Sheffield United's run in the last couple of games hasn't been all that great, they will come into this fixture in a confident mood. Rivals Wednesday are in a woeful run of form at the moment, and the Blades have got to like their chances to not only win but to also cause a managerial switch across the city. If they can do that, they won't only increase their chances of making the playoffs or getting promoted, but they might also cause Wednesday to spiral. Look for the home Blades to run the rule and pick up three points.

Wednesday have lost their last four Championship matches, only managing to score twice in that time. Meanwhile, they have conceded 12 goals in those games.