Brighton hoping Reading’s leaky road form continues this weekend

The big games are coming thick and fast in the Championship, with the pressure building on sides to maintain their promotion aspirations. No team is feeling the heat more than Brighton right now, and Chris Hughton’s men take on fellow Premier League-hopefuls Reading this weekend.

With England’s form team Huddersfield Town breathing down their necks, the Seagulls can’t afford to slip up.

But that’s not easy when they must play Reading and Newcastle before Wednesday.

There is hope for the East Sussex outfit at the Amex this weekend however, with Jaap Stam’s Royals proving plenty beatable away from the Madjeski Stadium.

The Berkshire outfit have already lost seven away games this term, and only five sides have conceded more than their 29 goals on the road.

Reading have picked up just three victories from their last eight away ties, while they head down south having won just one of their last four league games home and away.

Plus, Brighton have lost just once on their own patch since New Years’ Day last year – a run spanning one loss in 27.

And their nine goals conceded on the south coast is a league best – it’s also the tightest defensive home record outside of the Premier League.

So despite Brighton’s own patchy form of late – two wins in five – they should still be able to come good on the pre-match odds of 4/6.

A 17:30 kick off also means Hughton and his side will know what Huddersfield will have achieved at Barnsley, which may further drive the Seagulls onwards and upwards.

The Terriers have won six on the spin under David Wagner, and lie a point behind Brighton, albeit having played a game more.

But in Hughton, the Seagulls have a manager who knows how to get out of this division, and Reading’s dodgy travels should allow Brighton to maintain their place in the top two.

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