Sheffield United vs Bristol City predictions, betting tips and odds: Blades set for smooth progress

Where to watch Sheffield United vs Bristol City

You can watch Sheffield United vs Bristol City in the Championship playoff semi-final second leg at 8pm on Monday, May 12, live on Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event

Sheffield United vs Bristol City prediction & best bet

Sheffield United to win & under 3.5 goals
1pt 6-4 BoyleSports, Coral, Ladbrokes

Recommended Offer

4/5

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

Get £30 In Free Bets When You Place Any Bet

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

• Freeze a winning score and win a leg of your acca early with AccaFreeze

CLAIM OFFER

18+ T&Cs apply

New customers only. First single & E/W bet only. Odds of 1/1 or greater. 3 X £10 bet tokens. Free bet stakes not included in returns. Free bets exclude virtuals. Free bets are non withdrawable. Free bets expire after 30 days. Eligibility restrictions and further T&Cs apply.

Sheffield United vs Bristol City odds

Here are the latest odds ahead of Sheffield United vs Bristol City in the Championship playoffs

Odds correct at time of publishing

Want more top football betting advice? Make sure you take a look at Racing Post Sport's tips for more of the latest picks from our experts.

Sheffield United vs Bristol City predictions

Sheffield United's 3-0 victory at Bristol City in the first leg of their Championship playoff semi-final was hardly a shock result given that the Blades had finished 22 points above the Robins in the regular season.

However, the game was in the balance until City defender Rob Dickie was sent off in first-half injury-time and Harrison Burrows converted the resultant penalty.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the rival managers had contrasting opinions about the potentially season-defining call to dismiss Dickie for a foul on Kieffer Moore.

City's Liam Manning described it as "a major error" while Blades boss Chris Wilder felt it was "the correct decision".

Wilder's side took full advantage, with second-half goals from substitutes Andre Brooks and Callum O'Hare sealing a comprehensive win, and they should avoid any second-leg scares at Bramall Lane.

Backing the Blades to win a match featuring under 3.5 goals looks the way to go as Bristol City had an underwhelming away record in the regular season.

They won only four of their 23 road fixtures, averaging one goal per game compared with 1.57 at Ashton Gate.

That statistic underlines the scale of the task they face at Sheffield United, who lost all four of their meetings with champions Leeds and runners-up Burnley this term.

The top two were sensational, both finishing the season on 100 points, but Wilder's men suffered only six defeats in their other 42 league matches – five of them by a one-goal margin.

The Blades showed smart game management in the first leg, biding their time before punishing their ten-man hosts, who also lost midfielder Joe Williams to a first-half injury.

Their 3-0 lead means they can also afford to be patient in the return leg and, ignoring their home defeats against the top two, the Blades conceded only 12 goals in 21 league games at Bramall Lane this term.

They won 15 of those 21 matches against teams below them and their bench strength suggests they should be able to pick off their visitors as the game opens up.

Bristol City have been far from secure at the back even with Dickie available, losing 3-1 at relegated Luton and 4-0 at Leeds in their last two away fixtures.

They had to come from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at home to lowly Preston on the final day of term but a similar fightback against rock-solid promotion favourites Sheffield United looks unlikely.

Recommended Offer

4/5

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

Get £30 In Free Bets When You Place Any Bet

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

• Freeze a winning score and win a leg of your acca early with AccaFreeze

CLAIM OFFER

18+ T&Cs apply

New customers only. First single & E/W bet only. Odds of 1/1 or greater. 3 X £10 bet tokens. Free bet stakes not included in returns. Free bets exclude virtuals. Free bets are non withdrawable. Free bets expire after 30 days. Eligibility restrictions and further T&Cs apply.

Key stat

Bristol City won only four of their 23 regular-season away fixtures in the Championship

Sheffield United vs Bristol City team news

Sheffield United
Ben Brereton Diaz, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi and Femi Seriki are available after missing the first leg. Ollie Arblaster and Rhys Norrington-Davies are injured.

Bristol City
Rob Dickie is suspended following his red card on Thursday. Haydon Roberts is expected to come into central defence but Joe Williams (ankle) has joined Mark Sykes, Luke McNally and Ayman Benarous on the sidelines.

Sheffield United vs Bristol City predicted line-ups

Sheffield United (4-4-2): Cooper; Choudhury, Ahmedhodzic, Robinson, Burrows; O'Hare, Peck, Souza, Hamer; Moore, Campbell
Subs: Brewster, Brereton Diaz, Rak-Sakyi, Brooks, Holding, T Davies, McCallum

Bristol City (3-4-2-1): O'Leary; Tanner, Vyner, Roberts; Hirakawa, Knight, Bird, McCrorie; Earthy, Mehmeti; Wells
Subs: Bell, McGuane, Armstrong, Cornick, Twine, Pring, Morrison

Recommended Offer

4/5

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

Get £30 In Free Bets When You Place Any Bet

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

• Freeze a winning score and win a leg of your acca early with AccaFreeze

CLAIM OFFER

18+ T&Cs apply

New customers only. First single & E/W bet only. Odds of 1/1 or greater. 3 X £10 bet tokens. Free bet stakes not included in returns. Free bets exclude virtuals. Free bets are non withdrawable. Free bets expire after 30 days. Eligibility restrictions and further T&Cs apply.

Sheffield United vs Bristol City Bet Builder player stats

Stats refer to league games only; does not include unavailable players

Sheffield United vs Bristol City bet builder predictions

Sheffield United to win
The Blades won 15 of their 21 regular-season home games against teams below them and should get opportunities to extend their 3-0 first-leg lead against Bristol City

Sydie Peck to have over 1.5 shots
Sheffield United's young midfielder had four attempts in the first-leg win at Ashton Gate and he has had 13 shots in his last four home league appearances

Ross McCrorie to be booked
The Bristol City wing-back received five yellow cards in his last six away games, including two against Oxford in February, and his temperament could be tested at Bramall Lane

Pays out at 10-1 with bet365

Read more . . .

Best bets and predictions for the 2024-25 EFL Championship playoffs: Blades look too sharp for their rivals 

Football accumulator tips for Monday May 12: Back our acca at 8-1 with bet365 

Monday's Serie A predictions and free football tips: Resurgent Roma can trouble La Dea 

Premier League: Arsenal deny 1-12 Liverpool at Anfield as Newcastle close in on Europe   

Click for free bets and betting offers from the Racing Post

Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing and sports betting.