Goals on the cards as Ince meets Beale
Third travel to fourth in the Championship on Friday evening as Reading travel to Queens Park Rangers.
It is not a local derby, but that said it is one of the closer away days for the Royals this season and that could add some needle into the affair under the lights at Loftus Road.
The Sky Sports cameras could also have an impact as second tier players look to showcase their skills in the spotlight.
Paul Ince is running away with the Manager of the Season award in the second tier, the Royals have a very thin squad, are operating under transfer restrictions and were amongst the favourites for relegation at the beginning of the campaign.
To have 22 points on the board at this stage is an outstanding achievement, and almost every doubter has been silenced by this stage,
Process
Both sides have a negative expected goals (xG) process despite ranking so high in the table, but particularly the hosts have improved in the last month or so after a slow start to the season.
The Royals have an excellent defensive process so far, an area of the pitch that Ince has really strengthened since replacing Veljko Paunovic at the back end of last season.
The Royals have conceded 16 from chances equating to 11.6 xGA in 12 matches, allowing chances at a healthy average of just 0.97 xGA per game.
The draw against Norwich City in midweek feels like a very significant result.
There have been times this season when Reading have played teams at convenient points, but the Canaries travelling to the Select Car Leasing Stadium in second place, having won seven and drawn one in their last eight, looked like an uphill battle.
But, to come away with a point and frustrate Dean Smith’s men typified the fighting spirit in the squad and laid a marker down that they are not going to get sucked back into a relegation battle.
Goals?
I do not trust Rangers to keep a clean sheet in this one, even though both sides have overperformed in the final third this season, both teams to score in at a nice backable price that I will not be turning down.
QPR have scored in seven of ten.
QPR have conceded in seven of ten.
QPR have seen both teams score in five of ten.
QPR have seen over 2.5 goals in four of ten.
Reading have scored in seven of ten.
Reading have conceded in six of ten.
Reading have seen both teams score in three of ten.
Reading have seen over 2.5 goals in six of ten.
Post bet chat Marcus's Tips:
2-1 QPR, BTTS in just after the half hour mark.