Blackburn vs. Sheff Utd (Saturday, 12.30pm)
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In a preview of their upcoming FA Cup quarter-final tie at Bramall Lane, Blackburn Rovers and Sheffield United will do battle in a similarly important contest in the fight at the top end of the Championship table on Saturday at Ewood Park.
The hosts sit fourth thanks to three straight league wins and progressed past Leicester City in the cup on Tuesday, while their visitors have a healthy lead over the chasing pack in second spot and come in on the back of a triumph over Tottenham Hotspur.
We say: Blackburn Rovers 1-1 Sheffield United
Both teams are high on confidence following cup triumphs and are desperate for wins in their respective promotion bids.
The Blades have shone throughout the season thus far and cruised past Blackburn at Bramall Lane, but we see Saturday being a much tougher test and only anticipate them coming away with a share of the spoils against a resurgent Rovers side.
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Cardiff vs. Bristol City (Saturday, 12.30pm)
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The next edition of the Severnside derby arrives on Saturday afternoon as Cardiff City look to secure valuable points when they host Bristol City in South Wales.
The Bluebirds have improved under new management in recent weeks and have earned some notable victories, whereas Bristol City will be hoping to put an FA Cup defeat behind them by defeating their fierce rivals.
We say: Cardiff City 2-2 Bristol City
Despite a defeat last time out against Norwich, Cardiff are looking significantly improved under Lamouchi and will view this Severnside derby as a good opportunity to further distance themselves from the bottom three.
Bristol endured arguably the hardest workout in English football against Manchester City on Tuesday night, and going toe-to-toe with Pep Guardiola's side should set them up well for a return to Championship action this weekend.
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Blackpool vs. Burnley (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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Burnley make the short trip to Blackpool on Saturday afternoon looking to further strengthen their hold of top spot in the Championship standings.
At a time when the Clarets sit 12 points clear of second-placed Sheffield United, Blackpool are four points adrift of safety at the bottom end of the table.
We say: Blackpool 0-2 Burnley
McCarthy will naturally hope that an all-North-West showdown acts as the catalyst for his side to produce one of the most surprising results in the EFL this season. However, we cannot back against a Blackpool side who will be motivated to move closer to a return to the top flight.
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Huddersfield vs. Coventry (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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Huddersfield Town will be searching for much-needed points in their fight to remain in the Championship when they host playoff-chasing Coventry City at the John Smith's Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Terriers have endured a mixed start under new management and remain in the bottom three, whereas the Sky Blues are enjoying an unbeaten run, which is seeing them close the gap on the top six.
We say: Huddersfield Town 1-1 Coventry City
Huddersfield face a real battle in staying in the Championship and have a very challenging set of fixtures to finish off their season, so a home encounter with an injury-riddled Coventry side is a good opportunity to earn maximum points.
The Sky Blues have improved over the past month, but injuries to key players could begin to slow their assault on the playoff positions, although they should be good enough for a point on their travels this weekend.
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Luton vs. Swansea (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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Luton Town play host to Swansea City on Saturday afternoon looking for the victory which would keep the club in the top six of the Championship standings.
Meanwhile, Swansea travel to Kenilworth Road sitting 11 points adrift of the playoffs with 12 matches remaining, effectively making this a must-win fixture for the visitors.
We say: Luton Town 2-1 Swansea City
Luton's previous high level has dropped off recently, leaving Edwards desperately in search of more consistency. While we do not expect the Hatters to have things all their own way on Saturday, they should have enough in the tank to edge this encounter by the odd goal in three.
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Middlesbrough vs. Reading (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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Middlesbrough will be hoping to keep their automatic promotion hopes alive on Saturday afternoon when they welcome Reading to the Riverside Stadium in the Championship.
Boro tasted defeat for the first time since January last weekend to end an impressive winning run, whereas the Royals secured a valuable maximum against struggling Blackpool on home soil.
We say: Middlesbrough 2-0 Reading
Middlesbrough suffered a major blow to their top-two dreams at West Brom last weekend, but that loss such not detract from the marvellous job Carrick has done since taking over from Chris Wilder.
Reading head to the Riverside with a potential six-point deduction hanging over them, and the ongoing investigation by the EFL could prove to be a distraction for everyone associated with the Berkshire club this Saturday.
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Millwall vs. Norwich (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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Millwall and Norwich City square off in the Championship on Saturday afternoon with just two points separating the clubs in the standings.
The teams, who are fifth and seventh place respectively, have also recently put together four-match undefeated streaks in the second tier.
We say: Millwall 1-1 Norwich City
This has all the makings of a highly-competitive game and Norwich will be confident of becoming just the third team to defeat Millwall at The Den this season. However, we feel that a share of the spoils is most likely, one which would still suit the visitors more so than their hosts.
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Rotherham vs. QPR (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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A key battle at the bottom end of the Championship table will take place at the New York Stadium on Saturday, as Rotherham United entertain Queens Park Rangers.
The hosts have built a small cushion over the relegation zone thanks to a victory and a draw in their last two league outings, while the visitors will hope to earn their first points under the new management of Gareth Ainsworth on the back of four straight second-tier defeats.
We say: Rotherham United 2-1 Queens Park Rangers
QPR are lacking any real confidence and missing several key players, and even though Ainsworth will hope to lift his new side with a much-needed result, we see them falling short away at a Rotherham side who have impressed in South Yorkshire this term.
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Sunderland vs. Stoke (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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Alex Neil will return to the Stadium of Light on Saturday, as he leads his Stoke City side into battle against former club Sunderland in a Championship contest.
A tough run of form has seen the hosts drop to ninth spot in the table, while the Potters sit 17th, nine points worse off than their newly-promoted opponents.
We say: Sunderland 1-1 Stoke City
Although Sunderland have enjoyed the better season thus far, the Black Cats are far from their best at present and we can only envisage a share of the spoils at the Stadium of Light.
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Watford vs. Preston (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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Watford play host to Preston North End on Saturday afternoon looking for the win which is required to stay in close proximity to the Championship playoffs.
At a time when the Hornets sit four points adrift of the top six, Preston are 12th in the standings, just four points behind their hosts.
We say: Watford 2-1 Preston North End
With Preston having found some form of late, they will be optimistic about collecting something from Vicarage Road. However, Watford are under pressure to go on the offensive, and that may suit Bilic's side as they play catch-up in the second-tier promotion race.
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Wigan vs. Birmingham (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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Wigan Athletic will be searching for their first win in four matches when they host an out-of-form Birmingham City at the DW Stadium on Saturday afternoon in the Championship.
The Latics lost their first match under their new management last time out at Preston North End, whereas Birmingham's poor run of results continued against Luton Town last weekend.
We say: Wigan Athletic 1-1 Birmingham City
Wigan showed glimpses of good play in their defeat at Preston last weekend, and they will certainly be targeting the visit of struggling Birmingham as a game to collect maximum points from as they bid to stay in the Championship.
Blues have a host of injury doubts hovering over them ahead of a massively important afternoon in Wigan on Saturday, but given the full week to prepare, we believe that Eustace's should be able to earn a point in this one.
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Barney Corkhill
