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David Prutton's predictions: Wins for Newcastle and Leeds

David Prutton
Image: David Prutton returns with his weekend predictions in the Sky Bet EFL

David Prutton returns with his weekend predictions from the Sky Bet EFL and foresees wins for Leeds United and Newcastle United.

Brighton v Sheffield Wednesday (Friday, live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 7pm)

A huge game, especially after Brighton surprisingly lost at Preston last time out after 18 games unbeaten, but that does not strike me as a reason to panic. They are going to come up against a Wednesday team who had their own wonderful result against Huddersfield and who have quietly crept their way into the play-off positions and are now looking to cement their place there.

It will be a tough one - I remember the game there last year in the play-offs. It was fantastic and Brighton went out there hell for leather and Wednesday seemed able to weather that type of storm. So for me, it is not quite Brighton back to winning ways, but I am going for a score draw.

PRUTTON PREDICTS: 2-2 (18/1 with Sky Bet)

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QPR v Fulham (Saturday, live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 12pm)

QPR have won three out of their last four and were very impressive against Reading - they have a certain way of playing that allowed Reading a lot of possession, but in the end they were the more clinical and had more chances and they looked very good. The likes of Pawel Wszolek and Jamie Mackie were fantastic. I think what we are seeing from them is a little bit more confidence, which is something Ollie [Ian Holloway] alluded to them needing, and also he has managed to get rid of the ones who were not pulling in the same direction as everyone else.

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Fulham, on the other hand, are nicely poised in eighth and are a team that can put pressure on those other teams in the play-offs. But as good as Fulham have been away from home with the likes of Tom Cairney impressing, I think they are going to come up against a QPR team full of confidence after those wins, so I am going to go for a 1-1 draw.

PRUTTON PREDICTS: 1-1 (5/1 with Sky Bet)

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Barnsley v Leeds (Saturday, live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 5.15pm)

Leeds were utterly dominant against Derby and are in a very, very good vein of form, with Chris Wood scoring the amount of goals that suggest a purple patch in his career. So hopefully long will that continue as far as Leeds are concerned, along with Pablo Hernandez, who I think has been a great addition. He is now a permanent signing and you can tell he now feels at home and part of the furniture and so can express himself.

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Highlights of the Sky Bet Championship match between Fulham and Barnsley

As for Barnsley, it is tough having lost to Fulham and then in extra time in midweek to Blackpool, which might have taken it out of them, while they have also lost Sam Winnall to Sheffield Wednesday and captain Conor Hourihane is a very coveted player as well. It will be intense and passionate, as any Yorkshire derby tends to be, but for me it feels as though Leeds are going to go there and get all three points.

PRUTTON PREDICTS: 1-2 (15/2 with Sky Bet)

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Derby v Reading (Saturday, 3pm)

Two teams that were well beaten last time out. Derby may have only lost 1-0 to Leeds, but Leeds were utterly dominant in the first half and should have been two or three up, so we will probably see a reaction just as Jaap Stam will also want a reaction from his players. They had a lot of possession, but all they did was hit the bar through Yann Kermorgant when they played a little bit more direct against QPR and caused them problems.

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Highlights of the Sky Bet Championship match between Leeds United and Derby

This is a Reading team who have been pretty good and taken quite a lot of points over the last few seasons at Pride Park, but over the last couple of months Derby have been solid at home. It's something that Steve McClaren has put a lot of time and effort into and something that he really wanted to work on.

This feels like a draw to me, especially given how they have come off the back of those results, which has given McClaren power to change things up and obviously David Nugent has come in, which will hopefully add to the threat Tom Ince poses in attack. But for me Reading - Garath McCleary has just signed a new deal, which is good positive signs - and I see them going there and giving them a good game.

PRUTTON PREDICTS: 2-2 (14/1 with Sky Bet)

Newcastle v Rotherham (Saturday, 3pm)

After a wonderful result against Norwich, which gives them some semblance of hope, and the way they seem to be consistently producing the right type of performances, if not results, suggests there maybe life in Rotherham yet with regards to their Championship status.

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Highlights of the Sky Bet Championship match between Brentford and Newcastle

But I just think that Newcastle, who have got Jonjo Shelvey back - they have missed him dearly. You get the feeling he will have the bit between his teeth and will have a point to prove and I think Rotherham will be the first team to get a taste of that.

PRUTTON PREDICTS: 2-1 (15/2 with Sky Bet)

Aston Villa v Preston (Saturday, 3pm)

Preston are a tricky team and are having another season of consolidation. Simon Grayson won't say anything other than that, like he has secret ambitions for the play-offs, or something like that.

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Highlights of the Sky Bet Championship match between Preston and Brighton

They have already beaten Villa this season so they certainly understand who they are coming up against. Rudy Gestede has left Villa and Jonathan Kodjia has gone to the Africa Cup of Nations, changing the focal point of their attack and they now have no wins in four. It's a tough one for Villa and I fancy Preston to go there and do a number on them.

PRUTTON PREDICTS: 1-2 (12/1 with Sky Bet)

Huddersfield v Ipswich (Saturday, 3pm)

Off the back of the result at Wednesday, where Huddersfield can feel slightly hard done by as there was an absolute scorcher from Ross Wallace, but I think the debate about the second goal stuck in their claw a bit.

As for Ipswich, the thing Mick McCarthy is striving for is consistency, not necessarily of performance, but result, and I think the game in midweek against Lincoln was testament to that.

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Highlights of the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield

Huddersfield have been good at home and had their brief sticky patch earlier in the season. They came through that, while they have a couple of additions from a striking point of view, which bodes well, and Aaron Mooy is having a fantastic season, so that all points to a home win.

PRUTTON PREDICTS: 2-1 (15/2 with Sky Bet)

Norwich v Wolves (Saturday, 3pm)

A tricky one. Wolves have to go there with absolutely nothing to lose and Paul Lambert is going back to his old club, while Norwich need to get back up after that result against Rotherham. It is strange as on the odd occasion when you think Norwich are sorting themselves out, they shoot themselves in the foot in their next game. You are waiting for them to just go on that run that reflects the quality of players they have coming down from the Premier League, who should be good enough to compete in the Championship, but they are just not doing it on a consistent basis.

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Highlights of the Sky Bet Championship match between Rotherham and Norwich

PRUTTON PREDICTS: 2-2 (12/1 with Sky Bet)

Sheffield Utd v Gillingham (Saturday, 3pm)

Another surprise in one of the so-called big teams getting thumped at Walsall, a team in 14th who you would have thought they would have got a result against. Sheffield United were six games unbeaten before the Walsall game, so as much as we say the Championship is unpredictable, so League One and Two can be every bit as unpredictable.

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Highlights of the Sky Bet League One match between Walsall and Sheffield United

But they are going to Gillingham team who have lost their last three, so I think Chris Wilder will want his team to reassert themselves. They are obviously top of the league and doing very, very well, but I think a result like that against Walsall is a bit of a reality check that they just cannot walk over people in this league and saunter to the League One title. So I get the feeling he is going to have them on their toes here, especially in front of the Bramall Lane home crowd

PRUTTON PREDICTS: 2-0 (6/1 with Sky Bet)

Doncaster v Crewe (Saturday, 3pm)

Doncaster are another team in a similar position to Sheffield United, they come off the back of three wins, while Crewe are in 18th, so tough times for them, and from their point of view it is safety first and anything other than that is a bonus. Meanwhile, Donny have the likes of James Coppinger and Marko Marosi playing well and the volume of goals he has scored is reflective of how the supply gets to him and how confident they are

PRUTTON PREDICTS: 2-0 (13/2 with Sky Bet)

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Highlights of the Sky Bet League Two match between Barnet and Doncaster

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