Sheffield United vs Fulham: Betting Odds & Prediction
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Bottom-placed Sheffield United play host to midtable Fulham on Saturday afternoon as the Blades claw for points to bolster their feint survival chances.
Both sides come into the fixture in opposing form, with kick-off set for 3pm at Bramall Lane.
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Sheffield United
It is safe to say that Sheffield United’s return to the Premier League has been nothing short of a disaster. After the disappointing start to the campaign, Sheffield sacked manager Paul Heckingbottom and replaced him with former manager Chris Wilder in December. However, they have only amassed two wins since his appointment.
Their last game before the international break saw them surrender a 2-0 lead away at Bournemouth, eventually drawing 2-2. The game again highlighted United’s defensive problems, with the away side conceding 32 shots. Their last home outing made for an even tougher watch in a 6-0 loss to league leaders Arsenal, who headed into the half-time break already having five goals to their name.
Not only have they conceded the most goals in the league (74), they've also scored the least (24). At home, they've scored just 0.86 goals per game, which is slightly worse than already alarming expected goals (xG) tally of 0.88. 43% of their home fixtures in the league have seen them fail to find the net.
Their defensive record doesn't make for much better reading; United have conceded an average of three goals per game, no doubt hindered by the Arsenal result and an 8-0 loss to Newcastle in September. This is much higher than their expected goals against (xGA) tally, which sits at 1.92. Only 7% of their home matches have ended in a clean sheet for the Blades.
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Fulham
The away side head into the fixture having won three of their last four outings, including a 3-0 home victory against Tottenham Hotspur. Their only blemish was a 2-1 away loss at Wolves, which was their last fixture on the road.
Their away form has been concerning, though, with an average of just 0.71 points per game (W2, D4, L8) in 14 outings. They've also averaged just one goal per game on their travels, compared to 1.93 on home turf. Fulham also average less shots on the road (9.5) compared to their home fixtures (11.4).
Their defensive record is also alarming, with Fulham conceding an average of 2.07 in away matches compared to their xGA of 1.78.
Prediction
Even though Fulham have struggled on the road, it's hard to see that pattern continuing this weekend. The home side's record is abysmal, having conceded three or more goals in 43% of matches at Bramall Lane. Fulham's away games also tend to be high-scoring, with an average of three total goals so far.
It's hard to see anything other than an away victory in this one, and while little value can be found in backing Fulham on the moneyline, expect the away side to enjoy a wealth of success on the way to three points.