Cardiff v Huddersfield: Bellamy to fire hosts to tight win
Published:Premier League hopefuls Cardiff City face former League One outfit Huddersfield Town in the Championship’s opening game, with the hosts 5/6 favourites to triumph.
The home side are heavily tipped to win the second tier curtain-raiser, with the game already looking a step too far for Championship newcomers Huddersfield.
Cardiff seem to be the eternal bridesmaid but never the bride when it comes to securing a spot in the Premier League, having suffered three consecutive play-off failures.
However fans will be hoping their side’s new controversial red kit brings with it a change in fortunes, and the club’s summer signings do look set to bolster the Welsh capital outfit’s promotion push.
Cardiff have secured three international strikers this summer who will be vying for starting positions in manager Malky Mackay’s forward line.
The most impressive of those moves was the re-acquisition of former Liverpool striker and Team GB goalscorer Craig Bellamy, who is at 7/4 to find the net at any time against Huddersfield.
Whilst Cardiff may be favourites to win the match, their defence is slightly suspect and the Terriers can be expect to trouble the Bluebirds backline.
The home side shipped 29 goals on their own turf last season, the most of any club in the top 10 of the Championship.
Whilst in League One during the 2011/12 campaign, Huddersfield were somewhat away-day specialists, with their 44-goal haul on the road the most in the division.
And in Jordan Rhodes the away side possess a genuine goal threat, who is fresh off the back of his first international goal for Scotland in mid-week, and at 6/1 is a tempting bet to open the scoring here.
Therefore a win for Cardiff despite Huddersfield registering on the scoreboard looks a possibility, and a 2-1 home victory at 15/2 may be worth a punt.
If Huddersfield can find the sort of form that made them devastating visitors last year, then a price of 10/3 could prove handy. The draw can also be backed at 5/2.
Coincidently, Steven Gerrard’s cousin Anthony Gerrard made the switch from Cardiff to Huddersfield this summer, and the midfielder is 16/1 to find the net at any time against his former club.
The two sides last met in the Carling Cup in August 2011, with Cardiff winning 5-3 on home soil. A repeat of that goal-fest is priced at a long 325/1.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
