Ipswich vs Watford tips: Championship predictions, odds and free bets

Ipswich vs Watford betting tips 

• Ipswich to win and BTTS – 2/1 bet365 
• Kieffer Moore to score any time – 7/5 Betfred 
• Ipswich to earn most cards – 43/20 Unibet

Ipswich are back under pressure in the automatic promotion race and face a potentially tricky Championship clash with Watford on Wednesday evening (7.45pm, Sky Sports Red Button). 

The Tractor Boys slipped up at the weekend in the East Anglian derby, suffering a 1-0 defeat at the hands of bitter rivals Norwich at Carrow Road.  

Leicester leapfrogged Kieran McKenna’s men later on Saturday to reclaim top spot when beating Birmingham but then surprisingly lost on Tuesday evening at Millwall. 

Leeds were unable to take advantage as they were held to a goalless draw by Sunderland and Ipswich now have a golden opportunity to take a firm grip on first with a win over Watford. 

A victory would see the Suffolk outfit open up a two-point lead at the top of the Championship, albeit Leicester have a game in hand.

The Hornets head to Ipswich having yet to taste defeat since interim boss Tom Cleverley replaced Valerien Ismael. Under Cleveley's brief tenure, they've won one and drawn three of their matches.  

They played out a goalless draw with Preston last time out but have also held Leeds and West Brom in recent weeks. 

Ipswich are odds-on for the win with football betting sites, although it will be interesting to see how they cope with the pressure against a resilient Watford outfit. 

Ipswich vs Watford tip: McKenna’s men to dig deep 

The Tractor Boys have been on a rollercoaster ride this season. Few would have predicted that they would be in this position at the start of the campaign, but back-to-back promotions and a return to the Premier League after a 22-year exile is now a distinct possibility. 

That’s not to say their season has not been without drama. After conceding two late goals against Cardiff to throw away three points, Ipswich responded with a three-game winning streak, including their last-gasp victory over Southampton. 

That result effectively ended the Saints’ hopes of automatic promotion, leaving Ipswich in a battle with Leicester and Leeds to finish in the top two. Betting sites make the Tractor Boys 10/3 to win the Championship, their price shortening up after a favourable set of results on Tuesday.

Only Leeds have a better home record in the Championship, with McKenna’s men losing just one of their 20 matches at Portman Road to date. It will be a tall order for the Hornets to produce an upset, although their form on the road has been far better than at Vicarage Road. 

Ipswich, though, continue to find a way to win games. It’s not always conventional, but McKenna seems to have the magic touch and momentum has been massive for his team throughout the year. 

Time and again they’ve responded to setbacks, and even though losing to Norwich was disappointing, Ipswich can bounce back. 

Both teams have scored in 16 of Ipswich’s 20 home matches, while they’ve lost only once after finding the net. We’re backing hosts to take all three points and will pair it with BTTS at 2/1 with bet365. 

Ipswich vs Watford Tip 1: Ipswich to win and BTTS – 2/1 bet365

Moore to find his form 

Ipswich splashed the cash to beat their Championship rivals to the signing of Kieffer Moore on loan in January. The early signs were extremely positive as the Wales international notched a brace on his debut, albeit in a defeat to Preston.  

However, he then added further strikes in wins over Millwall, Rotherham and Plymouth, and Moore should have notched the decisive strike against his former club Cardiff, only for the Welsh outfit to launch a late comeback.  

Since then, Moore has failed to find the back of the net, and pressure is mounting on him to make an impact. Ipswich took a gamble on signing the forward, agreeing to take on his significant wages and paying a loan fee to Bournemouth for his services.

Conor Chaplin and Nathan Broadhead have picked up the slack over the last four matches, but the Tractor Boys will also want to see their January signing chip in with some important goals to get them over the line in their promotion bid. 

Ipswich’s forward line make up the leading contenders on betting apps to find the net ahead of Watford’s attackers, and Moore’s odds may offer value at 7/5 with Betfred to score any time on Wednesday night.

Ipswich vs Watford Tip 2: Kieffer Moore to score any time – 7/5 Betfred

Will there be cards at Portman Road? 

Ipswich are riding high in the promotion race, but they’re also near the top of the standings for yellow cards collected in the Championship this season. 

Only four clubs have more cautions to their name this term, although McKenna’s men have managed to keep all 11 players on the field for all 40 matches to date. Sam Morsy and Massimo Luongo have combined for 21 yellow cards between them, with the former earning 13 cautions.  

Watford are not far behind on 89 yellows, while they’ve also had three red cards. 

The Hornets have cleaned up their act in Cleverley’s four games, accruing only six cards in four matches. Ipswich have accumulated eight in their last four, including three in their win over Southampton last time out at Portman Road.

Referee Samuel Barrott has been assigned the game and is one of the most lenient officials in the game, averaging only 3.15 cautions in his 33 matches this term.  

We’re not expecting many cards as the Hornets may take a more passive approach, sitting deep and forcing Ipswich to break them down, while the home side will press to win the ball back. We like the odds for the Tractor Boys to earn the most cards in the fixture at 43/20 with Unibet. 

Ipswich vs Watford Tip 3: Ipswich to earn most cards – 43/20 Unibet

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