EFL Championship preview and tip: Sunderland to fade as Luton keep rolling
- George Dempsey
- 17 March 2023
There are nine games remaining in the regular Championship season and the table is taking shape, but there are still lots of unanswered questions and plenty of points still up for grabs.
Sheffield United's midweek victory kept them seven points clear of Luton, but the Hatters did manage to move seven points clear of the play-off chasing pack. There seems little doubt in their current form that they'll be in the playoffs.
This weekend they travel to face Sunderland and on paper, nothing seems daunting about that. After a slow start to the season, Luton have been formidable on their travels. They've won 10 of their last 16, beating Sheffield United along the way, and have kept nine clean sheets.
Sunderland can be pleased with their first season back at this level but it does feel like it's threatening to peter out. A mid-table finish looks highly likely, and the Black Cats have lost four of their last five.
Luton have won away to eight of the bottom 10 so far this season and a majority of their slip-ups have been against in-form teams or those inside the top 10. Sunderland have conceded more goals in their last 5 games than Luton have in their last 16 fixtures.
With what's on the line for Luton at this stage of the season, and the lack of resistance coming from Sunderland at the moment, the odds on Luton Town to win feel well worth a punt. Back the visitors.
