Prediction & odds for the game: Sheffield United (5/6) v Watford (10/3)

When: Thursday, 26th December 2019 @ 3pm K.O

Where: Bramall Lane

The high-flying Sheffield United will attempt to keep the ball rolling as they take on Watford in the Premier League.

Sheffield United

Nobody really expected Sheffield United to do as well as they have done upon returning to the Premier League, and yet here we are. The Blades have surged up into the top six and it looks like there’s a pretty good chance they could stay there for the remainder of the season. Chris Wilder has worked wonders with this team, and the most exciting part for their fans is that it would appear as if this is only just the beginning of what could be the rise of a new superpower in English football.

Back to back draws against top sides like Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United showcased the kind of ‘never give up’ attitude that this squad has. Alas, a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle brought them right back down to Earth, but it didn’t do so for long with wins over Norwich, Aston Villa and Brighton easing the pain within a mad 13-day span.

Watford

What a dramatic and painful drop it’s been for Watford fans as of late. The managerial merry-go-round has begun once again and while Nigel Pearson is considered to be a good appointment by some, that’s not exactly some sort of unanimous viewpoint. There’s a long way to go before they are safe and away from the danger zone, with the Hornets currently residing at the bottom of the table. Momentum is an important thing, though, and they’ve got a great chance to build some more of that in the weeks to come.

The draw against Crystal Palace was painful and the defeats to Leicester, Southampton and Burnley were bad, but their 2-0 loss to Liverpool actually gave their fans cause for hope. Then, in one of their best performances in years, they put Manchester United to the sword with a comfortable 2-0 triumph.

Conclusion

Watford are no fools despite the fact that they’ve had such a poor season in the Premier League up to this point. We think they’re going to get right in United’s face from the word go, bullying them in the middle of the park in the process. It’s not going to be a particularly pretty game to watch but Watford fans won’t care so long as they come away with at least a point from it. In this instance, we tend to believe they’re more than good enough to do just that.

Goals aren’t really going to be high on the agenda for either side and while that sounds a bit bizarre to say, we just think that a point apiece is a solid result. Therefore, we’re backing the under 2.5 goals.

Verdict: Back the draw at odds of 13/5 and the under 2.5 goals scored at odds of 8/11. (All odds are taken from bet365).

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