Watford v QPR EFL Championship Tips: Expect another home win | OneFootball

EFL Championship

Ryan Deeney previews Watford v Queens Park Rangers in the EFL Championship

Betting tipster Ryan Deeney looks ahead to an early Championship kick-off as play-off chasing Watford host struggling Queens Park Rangers.

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Tom chose Cleverley

Tom Cleverley wouldn't have been thinking in line with his surname to many when taking on the Watford job as his first managerial opportunity but his performance has been tremendous to date.

His Hornets side enter the weekend sitting in 5th place and a key reason for that is their incredible form at Vicarage Road, collecting 22 points from a possible 24 to date. They will fancy their chances of that continuing this weekend.

Their opponents are struggling Queens Park Rangers, whose manager Marti Cifuentes used a rare victory in midweek as fuel to claim "one win will not change much" and "the club needs to understand there are some things that we need to improve as a club".

The victory, at Cardiff City, was just their second of the season but also means they have lost just two of their previous seven matches, falling short only against high-flying Middlesbrough and Leeds United. Are they starting to turn a corner?

QPR are up against it

There are compelling reasons to believe that they aren't.

There are the public comments against those above him with fans firmly on the side of the manager rather than the board. Recruitment has been a key issue and Cifuentes is currently managing a number of players he didn't want.

Secondly, while their away record is slightly stronger than their home form, they have been poor defensively. The R's have conceded at least 1xG in seven of eight matches on the road and at least 19 shots in four of their last five.

Finally, Rangers played on Wednesday night in Cardiff while Watford were at home on Tuesday night against Bristol City, collecting another victory. Back-to-back away days and their hosts have had an extra day's rest, all while Cifuentes is easing a number of players back into the team after injury.

The solace QPR have is that Watford are overperforming defensively - four goals conceded from over ten expected goals conceded. They have kept three clean sheets on the bounce but are due to concede at some point. Yet there is a lot stacked against them, meaning even a goal may not change the narrative for either side.

Back Chak to be important

If Watford are going to score as expected, there is a player that stands out.

Georgi Chakvetadze shone at the Euros and has stepped up to become one of the most exciting players in the Championship this season, a player capable of creating from very little.

The Georgian is amongst the top players in the division when it comes to the number of shots (30) and chances created (38) combined and is slightly underperforming on both fronts, meaning he might be due more luck in the final third.

QPR are struggling, are likely to be tired and are conceding a lot of opportunities. This should be a fine opportunity for the 25-year-old to show exactly what he is about in front of the TV cameras.

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Back Watford to win and both teams to score @ 11/4