Sheffield Wednesday v Derby predictions: free betting tips and where to watch

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Sheffield Wednesday v Derby County in the Championship on Friday.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Main Event & Football, 5.30pm Friday.

Best bet

Derby
2pts 29-20 Betfred, Hills

Team news

Sheffield Wednesday
Adam Reach (hamstring) and Joost Van Aken (groin) are doubts and Massimo Luongo (knee) and Julian Borner (head) remain sidelined.

Derby
Martyn Waghorn is suspended and Tom Lawrence (ankle) and Curtis Davies (Achilles) are out.

Match preview

Derby have had a taste of life in the Championship relegation zone but they moved out of the bottom three with a superb 4-0 success at Birmingham on Tuesday and can start the new year on a high by beating fellow strugglers Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.

Defeat for Wayne Rooney's Rams would return them to the bottom three but they are focusing on climbing the table in anticipation of a more positive 2021.

Rooney raised a few eyebrows with his switch from the pitch to the dugout but he is making a positive early impression.

His charges have lost only once in eight games and that reverse – a 1-0 defeat at home to Preston – was heavily influenced by the 20th-minute dismissal of forward Martyn Waghorn.

Waghorn's three-match ban and an injury to Tom Lawrence have reduced Rooney's attacking options, but he has no reason to divert from the front three of Louie Sibley, Colin Kazim-Richards and Kamil Jozwiak who excelled in the rampant win over Birmingham.

Veteran striker Kazim-Richards has returned to England towards the end of a globetrotting career which has included spells in Turkey, France, Greece, the Netherlands, Scotland, Brazil and Mexico.

He seems no less effective at the age of 34 and has contributed three goals in his last seven appearances.

Thanks to his physical presence, he tends to attract the attention of opposition defenders, affording more space for the talented Sibley and Jozwiak to weave their magic.

They caught the eye at Birmingham as Derby racked up 20 shots, nine of them on target.

Derby's recent performances have been a far cry from the cautious fare served up in the early part of the season and they should fancy their chances against Wednesday, who are searching for their third permanent manager of the season.

Caretaker-manager Neil Thompson got off to a winning start, steering the Owls to a hard-fought 2-1 success at home to Middlesbrough on Tuesday, but a lack of quality has been evident all season and their survival hopes may hinge on what can be achieved in the January transfer window.

Wednesday's football became cautious in the extreme during Tony Pulis's ten-match tenure which delivered one victory and six goals.

Owner Dejphon Chansiri is searching for a new manager to deliver an uplift in entertainment and results but the task looks a tricky one and could get even more difficult after the fixture against Derby which is unlikely to yield any points.

Key stat

Derby have lost one of their last eight matches.

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