Norwich vs. Burnley (Saturday, 12.30pm)
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Burnley square off against Norwich City at Carrow Road on Saturday afternoon looking to move a step closer to securing promotion from the Championship.
At a time when the leaders sit 17 points clear of third position, Norwich are seventh in the standings despite prevailing in their last two fixtures.
We say: Norwich City 1-1 Burnley
Despite their different trajectories throughout the campaign, this should prove to be an intriguing fixture which should not be regarded as a foregone conclusion. There is a feeling that both sides would probably accept a draw if it was offered to them beforehand, and it leads us to predict a low-scoring draw.
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Rotherham vs. Sheff Utd (Saturday, 12.30pm)
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Sheffield United will make the short trip across South Yorkshire to the New York Stadium on Saturday, as they take on Rotherham United.
The Blades make the trip on the back of a dramatic 3-3 draw away at Wrexham in the FA Cup fourth round over the weekend and remain comfortable in second place in the Championship table, while their hosts sit 20th with a five-point lead over the relegation zone.
We say: Rotherham United 1-2 Sheffield United
The Millers will have a degree of renewed confidence and do have quality in their ranks, particularly after their January business, but we do not see them toppling Heckingbottom's men and instead anticipate Sheffield United continuing their eye-catching run in the league with three more points at the weekend.
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Huddersfield vs. QPR (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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Huddersfield Town will be looking to move themselves out of the bottom three in the Championship when they face Queens Park Rangers on Saturday afternoon at the John Smith's Stadium.
The Terriers are yet to win in 2023 in any competition and are in desperate need of points, whereas the R's have lost ground on the playoff places after a poor run of form under Neil Critchley.
We say: Huddersfield Town 1-2 Queens Park Rangers
Huddersfield will be boosted by the return of Waghorn in the matchday squad as well as a senior goalkeeping option, but face a difficult task against a QPR attack full of talented individuals.
Critchley knows he needs to get a tune out of his side very soon if QPR are to mount a playoff push this season, and we feel they will earn their first win of 2023 at the John Smith's Stadium on Saturday.
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Hull City vs. Cardiff (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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In their second game under the new management of Sabri Lamouchi, Cardiff City will look to put an end to their 10-match winless run on Saturday, when they make the trip to take on Hull City.
The Bluebirds lost in the dying minutes of their contest away at Luton Town on Tuesday, remaining just three points above the bottom three in the Championship table as a result, while their hosts have quickly climbed to 15th spot thanks to an impressive upturn in form.
We say: Hull City 2-1 Cardiff City
Cardiff are lacking any real confidence given their form in recent months, while the Tigers are on an upwards trajectory under Rosenior, and we envisage a home victory at the weekend as a result as Hull continue to build momentum.
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Luton vs. Stoke (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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Luton Town play host to Stoke City on Saturday afternoon looking to further strengthen their position in the Championship playoff spots.
At a time when the Hatters occupy fourth place in the standings, Stoke are down in 18th and looking to move clear of the relegation zone.
We say: Luton Town 1-1 Stoke City
While Luton are regarded as the clear favourites to win this game, their home record has not been convincing. With that in mind and there being a freshness to his Stoke squad after their late pieces of business, we are predicting a competitive share of the spoils.
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Middlesbrough vs. Blackpool (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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Middlesbrough will strengthen their hold of third position in the Championship standings if they can defeat Blackpool on Saturday afternoon.
Meanwhile, the Seasiders make the trip to the Riverside Stadium sitting in the relegation zone after a prolonged winless streak in the second tier.
We say: Middlesbrough 2-0 Blackpool
With McCarthy at the helm, Blackpool could improve defensively over the coming weeks and months. Nevertheless, Middlesbrough have generally been excellent under Carrick, and we expect a relatively comfortable afternoon for the home side.
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Millwall vs. Sunderland (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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Two teams striving for an unlikely playoff place meet at The Den on Saturday afternoon as Millwall host newly-promoted Sunderland in the Championship.
Millwall collected all three points at struggling Cardiff last time out in the second tier, whereas the Black Cats were in FA Cup action as they forced a replay against Premier League Fulham at Craven Cottage.
We say: Millwall 1-1 Sunderland
Millwall are still in the playoff hunt, but manager Rowett will realise his side have tended to tail off towards the end of recent campaigns, so the pressure is on the hosts to keep earning points this month.
Sunderland will have an exciting look to them with youngster Gelhardt leading the line, but the Black Cats might struggle physically in attacking areas against a Lions side that impose themselves on their opponents.
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Preston vs. Bristol City (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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Preston North End and Bristol City square off at Deepdale on Saturday afternoon looking for a victory which will keep them as outsiders for a playoff spot.
As it stands, the two teams are separated by six places and seven points in the Championship standings, but the visitors currently possess one of the longest unbeaten records in the league.
We say: Preston North End 1-2 Bristol City
Both of these teams have been unpredictable all season and it makes it difficult to predict a result with any confidence. That said, we can only back the visitors, who have momentum after outplaying in-form West Brom in the FA Cup last weekend and are performing better on their travels than Preston are at Deepdale.
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Reading vs. Watford (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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Reading will be looking to bounce back after an FA Cup exit when they host playoff-chasing Watford at the Select Car Leasing Stadium in the Championship on Saturday afternoon.
The Royals lost to Manchester United in football's oldest knockout competition last time out, and will be hoping to earn a maximum against a Hornets side who have won just one of their last four matches.
We say: Reading 0-1 Watford
Reading are in danger of falling into a relegation battle if they do not pick up some Championship wins in the coming weeks, with Ince needing to address their worrying habit of self-destructing in games.
Watford will hope some timely new arrivals can help strengthen their position in the playoffs, and we are backing them to earn all three points in Berkshire on Saturday.
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Swansea vs. Birmingham (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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Swansea City will be looking to close the gap to the playoffs when they host an out-of-form Birmingham City side in South Wales on Saturday afternoon in the Championship.
The Welsh club have had a fortnight to dwell on their draw with Queens Park Rangers last time out, whereas Birmingham were in FA Cup replay action on Tuesday night against Blackburn Rovers.
We say: Swansea City 1-1 Birmingham City
Swansea need to find some consistency if they are to finish inside the top six this season, and a clash with a stuttering Birmingham side is the type of game they must take maximum points from.
Birmingham have lost their last five league matches but showed signs of improvement in their FA Cup defeat on Tuesday night, and we believe they will do enough to earn a point in South Wales on Saturday.
