It's one of the biggest games of the Championship campaign for the travelling Millwall this Boxing Day as the Lions head to Vicarage Road with the hopes of rocketing themselves into the playoff places before 2023 as they now have a game in hand and sit just two points adrift of the top six.
Despite sitting 10th in the league table, Millwall have been more than impressive at times this season. In fact, they may have only won nine of the 22 outings so far, but this is only bettered by those inside the playoff spots while also having the game in hand to work with.
🔢 Latest team news 🦁 Millwall expectationsSlaven Bilić has been looking ahead to our next match on Boxing Day. pic.twitter.com/aG0TrVY7DU— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) December 23, 2022
🔢 Latest team news 🦁 Millwall expectationsSlaven Bilić has been looking ahead to our next match on Boxing Day. pic.twitter.com/aG0TrVY7DU
Millwall are also heading into this one with a two-point gap on Queens Park Rangers in sixth and they now have a chance to get into the top six this weekend.
What’s more, Millwall have netted an impressive 27 goals already in the Championship - Swansea City, Sheffield United, Norwich City and Burnley have scored more, just as their opposition this Boxing Day have more too.
Watford remain one of the favourites to go up back into the Premier League after a terrible start to the season has now been turned around in quite remarkable fashion because of the form of stars like Joao Pedro and Ismalia Sarr.
The Hornets have won 10 matches in the Championship now but lost six too. They’ve scored three more goals than Millwall with 30 and only the top two sides in the Championship have scored more than them.
Their record of 22 goals let in is also only bettered by Sheffield United in the second tier as the form of Daniel Bachmann in goal continues to impress, while Craig Cathcart has been one of the league’s best defenders so far.
Watford are still 10 points adrift of the league leaders Burnley, while having a three-point gap on seventh ahead of the game.
Watford will head into this game as slight favourites, but the league table does not quite credit Millwall's efforts this season. The club have games in hand to work with and they can launch themselves into the playoff spots if they win here and get a victory in that game in hand.
However, Watford have been excellent at Vicarage Road in the past few months and Forebet predicts a win for them here and for the game to see over 2.5 goals.