Eng. Championship
2012-08-18 - Leicester City vs Peterborough United
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English Championship
Saturday 18 August 2012 - Kick Off 3pm
Leicester City
One of the disappointments in the Championship last season were Leicester City who were one of the pre-season favourites for the title under the guidance of Sven-Goran Eriksson. Even with large investments in the playing staff, the team didn't start off well enough and Eriksson was sacked with Nigel Pearson taking over as manager.
Pearson took over in November and the Foxes finished in 9th in the Division, missing the Play Offs by 9 points. They were 11-6-6 at the KP Stadium, scoring 36 goals and conceding 22 in those games, but they will probably need to up the number of wins here if they are to challenge for promotion this season.
The owners continue to pump money into the club, but that increases expectations and Pearson cannot afford to make a start like his predecessor else he may also be looking for a new job. They have kept the majority of their important players together, although selling Matt Mills to Reading.
Leicester started a pretty strong team in the first round of the Capital One Cup and strolled to a 0-4 win at Torquay United. They still miss Sean St Ledger and Tom Parkes in this one, while Zak Whitbread, who signed from Norwich City, has been struggling with an injury the entire calender year.
Peterborough United
Peterborough United did well to stay in the Championship last season, but it is likely to be another tough season for them as Darren Ferguson continues as manager of the club. He guided them to safety last season and also has the added advantage of being able to loan some of the younger players from Manchester United through his father.
The team finished 18th in the Championship last season, but they had a comfortable 10 point buffer between themselves and those sides that were relegated. Peterborough finished with a 3-8-12 record away from home, scoring 26 goals and conceding 39 and only Coventry City managed less wins on their travels.
Posh have had a few comings and goings in the off-season, but that has to be expected with a club that is trying to consolidate themselves as a Championship club. It is also likely that they use the loan market to bulk up their squad before the transfer window closes as Premier League clubs recognise who is not required for a 25 man squad.
Tyrone Barnett and Emile Sinclair are both likely to be involved in the squad, but Nathanial Mendez-Laing, Daniel Kearns and Tommy Rowe are all absent.
Head to Head
Peterborough United may not have had a great record away from home last season, but they did earn a 1-1 draw here at Leicester City and beat the Foxes 1-0 at home.
Leicester have drawn their last 2 home games against Peterborough, but they had won the previous 2 before that.
Prediction
The opening day of the season can be full of optimism for all the clubs involved as they all get a chance to start from scratch and that can lead to some games being tighter than expected.
The weather also plays a part and there is supposed to be some soaring temperatures on Saturday that may sap the energy of the players that haven't had a competitive match since May.
In saying that, I do think Leicester City are capable of getting their Championship campaign off to a good start and they should be too strong for a Peterborough side that will have a few new faces in the squad and one that is expected to finish in the bottom third of the table.
You have to be a little concerned that Peterborough have managed to earn a point in each of their last 2 trips to Leicester, but I think the home team are going to learn from the experiences of last season and playing under all that expectation and I will take them on the handicap to get the three points here with a little room to spare.
The Pick :
Leicester City 3-1 Peterborough United
BEST BETTING TIP :
I'll back Leicester City - 1 Asian Handicap @ 1.95
