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The English Championship is one of the most competitive and unpredictable divisions in European football. Few teams manage to make it through a marathon season without losing a match, and with a pair of games on the board, just three clubs have all six points. The second flight of English football returns for matchday three on Saturday, and we focus on the game at Bramall Lane.
Sheffield United have given their loyal fans nothing to cheer so far, losing each of their previous two games. The Blades are stuck to the bottom of the Championship, one place behind derby rivals and cash-strapped neighbours Sheffield Wednesday. Ruben Selles and his squad hope to turn things around with a home win over Millwall on Saturday, from 15:00 BST. The visitors arrive with one win and a loss on the board.
Many pundits expected Sheffield United to improve on their third-place finish last season by winning the Championship and securing automatic promotion to the Premier League. Will they get back on track here? Flashscore's Frank Monkhouse compares the form, stats and trends of both the Blades and the Lions, returning with his best betting tips and predictions.
Sheff Utd v Millwall tips
Under 2.5 goals @ 4/6 (bet365)
Correct score 1-1 @ 11/2 (bet365)
Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at the time of publication and subject to change.
Blades suffer back-to-back defeats
Sheffield United fans suffered a painful end to the 2024/25 season when finishing just outside the automatic promotion places. The Blades hoped to progress through the playoffs, but were eventually denied by Sunderland in the final, with the Black Cats winning 2-1 at Wembley. It was close, but there was no fruit to show for their labour, meaning United play another season in the second division. Everyone connected to Bramall Lane knows the club must avoid the lottery of a playoff and finish in the top two this term.
Going close in the previous season is no guarantee that a team will perform well in the following campaign. That's something Sheff Utd fans realised when seeing their heroes slip to two defeats and no points in their opening two Championship starts. They lost 4-1 against Bristol City when last at Bramall Lane, and followed that slow start with a painful 1-0 defeat in Swansea previously. Sheff Utd were picked to defeat the Swans, but were beaten by a goal from Ronald midway through the second half. The match stats show the beaten team finished with 44% of the ball possession, and a poor 0.4 in the xG.
Reviewing the recent form, we see a bet on under 2.5 goals would've earned you a profit in Sheffield United's most recent start and in Millwall's narrow win over Newport County in the League Cup. The previous two meetings of Sheff Utd and Millwall also ended with a 1-0 scoreline, adding confidence to our pick.
Tip: Under 2.5 goals @ 4/6 (bet365)
Bet explanation: You need this match to produce fewer than three goals for both clubs combined.
A share would suit both managers
Moving to our second bet in South Yorkshire, and it's an approach that will suit lovers of the match-winner market. The pre-match betting odds show traders working at the UK's largest gambling apps expect a home win, with Sheff Utd priced as if the result is a foregone conclusion. The locals are certainly good enough to win, but I'd want better than the odds-on offered about a team yet to win a match this season. Bottom of the league with a 1-5 aggregate score doesn't do much to inspire confidence either.
Keeping in mind that Sheff Utd have zero points on the board and a -4 goal difference, I'd suggest they'd be happy enough with a draw from this match. Taking a share of the points would stop the rot, get them off the mark, and likely move Selles and co off the bottom. After they were hammered by Middlesbrough at The Den last weekend, Millwall supporters would also see the positives in a level finish.
The draw has chunky odds attached, but will it happen? The head-to-head stats available on every fixture at Flashscore show there has been one goal or fewer between these teams in each of their previous three, and in seven of the last ten. That run includes a couple of 1-1 draws and three 1-0 wins. Follow my pick and hope these teams prove a good match again.
Bet explanation: If the game ends level, the profits will appear in your balance.
Aim for a correct score at great odds
It's still very early in the season, and there's not a lot to go on in the stats and trends so far, but I feel myself drawn to a correct score and shot at landing an early-season profit. Followers of my picks enjoyed a few winners in the correct score market last season and during the summer at the Club World Cup in the USA. Another on matchday three would boost our returns.
Our final pick on Saturday at Bramall Lane is a 1-1 correct score at an appealing 11/2. When following this prediction, you need the final result to be exactly 1-1. Any other score will settle your wager as a loser, while the two-goal share would provide a healthy return. The odds allow you to keep your stakes low and hope for a positive result.
In the two games involving the Blades and Lions last season, we saw a pair of 1-0 wins for the visiting side. Sheff Utd won 1-0 at The Den before Millwall repaid the favour with a 1-0 win at Bramall Lane in April. The head-to-head shows this fixture also produced a 1-1 draw a few seasons ago. There's a risk involved here, as there always is when taking a chance on the correct score, but the stats are worth following and the rewards are worth winning.
Tip: 1-1 correct score @ 11/2 (bet365)
Bet explanation: If the final result is Sheff Utd 1-1 Millwall, you bag a winner at a nice price.
Sheff Utd v Millwall odds
Sheff Utd win @ 19/20 (bet365)
The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change.
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The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change.