Leeds have the key ingredients to qualify for Championship play-offs
Published:Leeds’ formidable record at Elland Road makes their price to qualify for the Championship play-offs excellent value for money.
Neil Warnock’s men can be backed at 7/4 to book a place in the post-season extravaganza and with the Yorkshire club just two points behind sixth-placed Watford they’re well in the mix to do so.
Their form on their own patch is that of promotion contenders – they have won five on the bounce, conceding just two goals along the way.
A key reason for this excellent form and subsequent rise in the Championship standings is their Argentinean goal-fiend Luciano Becchio.
He’s bagged 19 times already this season and is currently enjoying a purple patch so purple it looks like it hurts. It includes five goals in Leeds’ five-match winning run at home and it’s his knowledge of where the net is that makes the Lilywhites genuine promotion contenders this season.
Leeds’ 2-1 victory over Middlesbrough in the final game before Christmas presents a sterling example as to why this is the case.
Boro were unquestionably the better team in this game, enjoying plenty of the ball and creating numerous chances, yet they could not stick the ball away more than the once.
The home team could not match their promotion rivals in terms of approach play, but with Becchio up top they remained a goal-threat throughout and his instinctive finishing ability proved decisive. Had he lined up for Tony Mowbray’s men that day they could have won by five.
This was not the only time this season in which he’s earned his side three points instead of one or worse and he is sure to be the difference maker in Leeds’ chances of making the play-offs.
There are sure to be Premier League sides sniffing around him throughout the transfer window but, if they can stave off any advances from the top-flight and keep the former Barcelona trainee in their ranks, investing in Leeds to qualify for the play-offs at almost 2/1 will prove the shrewdest of moves come May.
All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date
