Saturday 29 April 2017 07:44, UK
With the end of the season on the horizon, who is David Prutton tipping to win this weekend?
It's the final round of matches in League One and the penultimate round of fixtures in the Championship and League Two, with play-off places and relegation issues still to be decided.
Who will come out on top? Read on for Prutton's predictions...
Huddersfield are now assured of a play-off place and will want to go in with momentum. I don't think David Wagner will allow them to ease off at all. It's only in the last few weeks where they have been a bit out of sorts, but they addressed it against Wolves and everyone in the team will be fighting for a starting place in the play-offs.
For Birmingham, this season has been absolutely ridiculous, but we might see some more from them after Harry Redknapp's arrival - and they need to show more because they are in massive trouble.
We have seen before that Harry can get a reaction in quite a short space of time, but I see Huddersfield going there and winning.
PRUTTON PREDICTS: 1-2 (Sky Bet's odds: 9/1)
Villa are looking towards next season, when they should be a real force to be reckoned with. The amount of players they have at their disposal and out on loan is frightening.
It's been a tough season for Blackburn with on-field performances reflecting what has been going on in the boardroom for a while.
Villa got a good win against Birmingham last weekend and as much as you feel there is a mutual respect between Steve Bruce and Tony Mowbray, there is no doubt Steve will want his players doing their job.
PRUTTON PREDICTS: 1-2 (Sky Bet's odds: 11/1)
It's been a wonderful late surge from Fulham but Brentford will be tough. Dean Smith has quietly and effectively built a young team who have competed in the Championship. Whether he has the ability in the summer to bring in more players remains to be seen.
I think Fulham will edge this. They have been clinical when they have needed to be and they have shown energy all season that has taken them into the top six.
PRUTTON PREDICTS: 2-1 (Sky Bet's odds: 8/1)
Wednesday have been fantastic up front with Gary Hooper and Steven Fletcher and they have timed their form superbly. They now need to navigate this game and then a huge clash against Fulham on the final day.
Ipswich can surprise you. They can look like they are floating into the summer and then beat Newcastle and remind you what kind of quality they have.
But I think Wednesday will win given what's at stake, and with Ipswich nearly able to clock off after another good season for Mick McCarthy with losing players and managing expectations.
PRUTTON PREDICTS: 0-1 (Sky Bet's odds: 5/1)
A big one for Leeds. They have to do their own thing and rely on other teams slipping up, when six games ago you might have thought they would be in Huddersfield's position and assured of a play-off place.
Why have they slipped up recently? It's been a long season for them and they have not made that many changes in the team. They are heavily reliant on the likes of Chris Wood, Kyle Bartley and Pontus Jansson, and collectively maybe they have elevated themselves over their individual abilities.
They have been brought together by a very good manager who has made them believe in themselves but maybe what we have seen over the last few weeks is perhaps where we thought Leeds would be.
For Leeds fans you feel the anguish of being in it for so long and potentially missing out. But you can't take away the pressure of playing for that club in that position and the expectations ramp up.
Norwich won't be easy. They have been inconsistent and they are there to put a spanner in the works. Leeds, though, just have to win and I think they will.
PRUTTON PREDICTS: 1-0 (Sky Bet's odds: 17/2)
QPR have ebbed and flowed over the course of the year with winning streaks and losing streaks. They are inching towards being safe next season and I will be intrigued to see what Ollie does with a full pre-season and getting players in and out.
As for Forest, I don't think you get a manager in like Mark Warburton without luring him with the ability to mould a team as he wants.
They have some very good young players and have a nucleus of a good side, it's just again off-field it doesn't appear harmonious. If they hang on it feels like they could have a good summer with Warburton doing what he does best; piecing a team together from very good scouting networks and getting results.
PRUTTON PREDICTS: 1-2 (Sky Bet's odds: 9/1)
Not a straightforward home win but I think Reading will get the points. They have been easy on the eye and productive and Jaap Stam knows what an opportunity this is to be able to showcase the team in the play-offs.
PRUTTON PREDICTS: 2-0 (Sky Bet's odds: 15/2)
We are fortunate enough to be at this game for Sky Sports and it could be a coronation for Brighton.
Unless you are a Crystal Palace fan I think there is a fondness for Brighton and for them to be in the Premier League. They have been a joy to watch in the last few years and the job Chris Hughton has done means they deserve to be in the top flight.
Bristol have had a great turnaround to scrape themselves off the canvas when they looked in danger of going down. Their problem has been conceding goals but Tammy Abraham has been a life saver and Lee Johnson will hopefully get time and patience in the summer.
I think, especially after the Norwich defeat, Brighton will want to put things right in front of their own fans and it should be a party atmosphere.
PRUTTON PREDICTS: 3-1 (Sky Bet's odds: 12/1)
This is the game Bolton get it done. Phil Parkinson has dealt with expectations reasonably well over the course of the season as Bolton in League One are a team everybody wants to beat. With the standard of players they have, and level of coaching, they should have been home and hosed before now.
I was there last season when Bolton went down and there wasn't that usual vitriol from the stands. The fans weren't horrible and everybody knew it was a whole host of problems that dragged them down and they have stuck with them. It will be celebration time this Saturday.
PRUTTON PREDICTS: 2-0 (Sky Bet's odds: 13/2)
Paul Cook is pretty relentless and I imagine he will want to finish the season strongly. I think they will show the kind of quality we will see in the division above next season.
The play-off battle is so tight, it's bizarre. Mansfield will be hoping that Portsmouth have their flip-flops on so they can keep their hopes alive. If they get two results they can gatecrash the party.
PRUTTON PREDICTS: 0-2 (Sky Bet's odds: 11/1)
