Price Boost: Doyle backed to strike first in key clash with Derby

Queens Park Rangers travel to the east Midlands to take on Derby County with an excellent chance of putting daylight between themselves and their fellow promotion rivals at the top of the Championship.

On-loan striker Kevin Doyle could be instrumental for the third-placed Hoops with Ladbrokes boosting the price on the Irish international to score first from 5/1 to 13/2.

It’s a feat the former Reading hitman managed on his recent debut against Burnley and repeating the trick could at best send his new club into the automatic promotion places and at worst seven points clear of Derby in fourth if Rangers emerge victorious.

QPR are 9/4 to secure a third win in their last five trips to Pride Park with the home side 6/5 to claim all three points and reel in their promotion rivals.

A draw is available at odds of 23/10, an eventuality that’s occurred in three of the pair’s previous four meetings.

Doyle will have been delighted with his return to goalscoring form since making the temporary switch from Wolves and given his team’s recent form in front of goal he should have plenty of chances to add to his tally.

QPR have notched 13 goals in their last five league games and head into this fixture on a six-match unbeaten run that’s ensured they’ve remained prominent in the race to win promotion back to the Premier League.

Burnley currently sit above the Hoops but only on goal difference, with Redknapp moving swiftly in the January transfer window to bring in both Doyle and Modiba Maiga to bolster his side’s attacking options following injury to Charlie Austin.

The Irishman will be expected to step in and fill the void left by the aforementioned 15-goal talisman and the trip to face Steve McClaren’s Derby outfit may prove fruitful as QPR bid to complete a season double over the Rams having triumphed 2-1 at Loftus Road earlier in the season.

The hosts have conceded in all but two of their previous 13 league games, shipping 11 goals in their previous six, with Doyle a likely beneficiary of any further defensive lapses.

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

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