Derby County v Charlton: Championship prediction, odds & free football tip

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Derby County v Charlton Athletic in the Sky Bet Championship.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Football, 7.45pm Monday

Best bet

Both teams to score
1pt 4-5 general

Team news

Derby County
Scott Malone is back from a ban but Tom Lawrence is suspended. Tom Huddlestone, Ikechi Anya, Matt Clarke, Mason Bennett and Graeme Shinnie are expected to miss out. George Evans is a doubt.

Charlton Athletic
Ben Amos, Lewis Page, Jake Forster-Caskey, Josh Cullen, Sam Field, Beram Kayal, Erhun Oztumer, Chuks Aneke, Tomer Hemed and Jonathan Leko remain injured.

Match preview

Only Derby fans living in cloud Phillip Cocu land will be pleased with their performances this season and the Rams may struggle to live up to their odds-on status against injury-hit Charlton at Pride Park.

Dutch coach Cocu will be targeting six points from the next two home games – Barnsley are next up in what should be Wayne Rooney's debut – and underperforming County have lost only twice at home this season.

However, it's now seven matches without a win for the Rams and a better bet could be to take both teams to score with Charlton's weakened side looking much stronger in the opposition box.

Charlton are without a clean sheet in their last 12 matches since beating Derby 3-0 in the reverse fixture at the Valley in October, which was also the last time Athletic had won prior to Thursday's 3-2 triumph over Bristol City.

Even with Rooney kicking his heels waiting for the calendar to tick around to 2020 and Tom Lawrence suspended, Derby should fancy their chances of netting against an Addicks side who have conceded twice in each of the last three matches.

County have scored in ten of their last 11 at home and Charlton will probably need to score to take something back to London.

Lee Bowyer has switched to a back three from a midfield diamond and is constantly looking for solutions with ten men sidelined through injury.

Midfielder Darren Pratley has been playing as a centre-back but even when Bowyer had more options he found it difficult to nullify opposition attacks on Charlton's travels and their only away clean sheet came in a win over Reading in August.

For all of Charlton's growing concerns, Bowyer has a twin striking threat which he will hope can keep Charlton in the division.

Lyle Taylor has recently come back form injury and marked his return to the starting 11 with a goal in the 2-2 draw at QPR, while Macauley Bonne has bagged a respectable eight goals since signing from Leyton Orient.

Key stat

Derby are winless in their last seven matches.

Today's top sports betting stories

Follow us on Twitter @racingpostsport

Like us on Facebook RacingPostSport