Weekend betting: Easter Monday promises derby joy for Preston North End

Easter is an absolute feast of sport with Football League clubs patching up their already weary squads for two games in four days.

On Monday, Wigan host Preston in a derby that appears, on paper at least, something of an anti-climax as the Championship seasons reaches its finale. The Lilywhites have thrown away any faint hope of sneaking into the play-offs but at least look set to cement a terrific foundation for the near future. That’s due to North End manager Alex Neil ending speculation rumours by signing new three-year deal at the club.

His decision to stay, and presumably snub potential suitors WBA, is a massive feather in the cap to PNE and I can see them building on this in the very near future. PNE are a huge price at 2/1 to win at Wigan on Monday; The Latics 13/10 and the draw 5/2. Despite North End having little to play for, and Wigan still fighting survival at the foot of the table, Preston should have far too much class and look a fair price at 9/2 to win and both teams to score, and 10/1 with 32Red to win by the 2-1 correct score.

Yesterday’s Championship results are unknown at the time of writing this 
column but Norwich have been odds-on to go up as champions for some time.

The Canaries are likely to be in celebration mode by the time they arrive at Villa Park on May 6, and there could be likewise celebrations in the West Midlands with Aston Villa’s winning sequence rocketing them up the table.

Villa have been cut to 2/1 from 7s with 32Red after last week’s 2-1 win over Bristol City in front of a sell-out home crowd.

That was the club’s eighth consecutive win on the spin.

Villa host Millwall on Monday and are understandably short in the betting to claim yet another three points; Villa 1/2 with sponsors 32Red, Millwall 7/1 and the draw 9/2.

The Lions have achieved survival almost by default this term, with Bolton and Ipswich looking like relegation candidates long before Christmas, and seemingly likely to be joined by either Rotherham or Wigan in English football’s third-tier next season. To add to both Bolton and Ipswich’s woes further, they look very unlikely to claim any ‘consolations’ on Easter Monday with the Trotters 5/1 to win their Lancashire derby with Blackburn at Ewood Park, and Ipswich 11/4 to beat Swansea at Portman Road. The Swans are 10/11 with 32Red to add to relegated Ipswich’s misery, with the Blackburn/Swansea double offering punters even further value at 15/8.

At the other end of the table, both Leeds and Sheffield United have ‘banana skin’ games when travelling to Brentford and Hull respectively – 32Red make Leeds 10/11 favourites to leave Griffin Park with three points; Brentford 11/4 and the draw 5/2, with the latter appealing most of the three prices.

I can see Hull gaining a share of the spoils when Sheffield United travel to the KCOM as 11/10 favourites; Hull 11/4 underdogs on home soil, and the draw 5/2.

For all the latest odds head to www.32Red.com.