Now or after Man Utd look best times to back QPR for safety

Every game may need to be treated like a cup final for QPR now if they are to escape the bottom three for the first time since the second week of the season.

But, it is the next nine gameweeks that will either seal their Championship fate or uncover whether they have a real chance of escaping the drop.

QPR are 7/2 to stay up and they currently find themselves in only a slightly worse position points-wise in comparison to where Wigan were last season, before climbing to 15th in the final Premier League standings.

With 12 games remaining, Wigan had only accrued 20 points, but won seven of their last nine to get to safety.

Meanwhile, a gap of seven points to safety is not an insurmountable deficit for QPR, especially given the favourability of their upcoming fixtures.

Granted, Harry Redknapp’s next game is not the easiest at home to Manchester United, although QPR are unbeaten at Loftus Road this season against opposition currently in the top six, drawing with Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham and Everton.

It is after the visit of the probable champions where things get most interesting.

The home meetings with Sunderland, Stoke and Wigan are almost all must-win games, while defeat has to be avoided in the away visits to Southampton, Aston Villa and Reading.

All of these six games come in the next nine weeks and QPR must really take a minimum of 12 points from these fixtures if they harbour serious hopes of avoiding relegation.

This looks one of the more favourable fixture lists in this period, especially compared to Reading and Aston Villa, who have a greater number of fixtures against top-half opposition.

If QPR can bridge their deficit in the next nine gameweeks or even move off the bottom of the table, they will certainly be a lesser price than 7/2 to stay up.

Alternatively, punters not expecting QPR’s fortunes to change can back them at 1/1 to finish bottom.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.