Luton Town vs Leeds United predictions: Whites may suffer another setback
&w=707&quality=100)
- Leeds have won only one of their last five league games
- Luton’s only defeat in their last five league matches came away at Burnley
- Recommended bet: Luton or draw double chance
Leeds are starting to wobble in their pursuit of the Championship title and, having relinquished top spot to Sheffield United, they will be desperate to get back on the winning trail at a relegation-threatened Luton.
Daniel Farke’s side have dropped points in four of their last five league games and will be bitterly disappointed by a brace of 2-2 draws against Queen’s Park Rangers and Swansea.
With only seven games to go, Leeds find themselves two points behind Sheffield United, but they are also ahead of third-placed Burnley on only goal difference, meaning any more setbacks could be costly to their automatic promotion ambitions.
Hosts Luton are also desperate for points, albeit for very different reasons as they sit second bottom and are bidding to avoid back-to-back relegations.
However, the Hatters are finally starting to find some consistency under former Wycombe manager Matt Bloomfield and ten points from their last four matches suggests that this won’t be a cakewalk for the Yorkshire giants.
Team news
Luton centre-back Reece Burke was handed his first start since November in last weekend's 1-0 win at Hull and should retain his place, while Tahith Chong and Amari'i Bell are also back in contention.
Jacob Brown is expected to miss the rest of the season for the Hatters while Teden Mengi, Shandon Baptiste and Marvelous Nakamba are also out through injury.
Leeds winger Willy Gnonto will be pushing for a start for Leeds, having made the bench and scored just one minute after coming off it in the 85th in the recent 2-2 draw with Swansea.
Patrick Bamford and Max Wober are also back in contention, leaving Farke with a fully-fit squad to choose from.
&w=707&quality=100)
The stats
Luton have lost only one of their last five Championship matches, keeping three clean sheets in that period.
Leeds have won only one of their last five league fixtures, dropping points on their last two away trips at Portsmouth and QPR.
Nine of Luton’s last 11 league games have featured two or fewer goals.
Leeds are unbeaten in seven meetings with Luton, although five of those fixtures have gone under 2.5 goals.
Both teams have scored in only one of Luton’s last seven home league matches.
Joel Piroe is Leeds’s leading scorer in the Championship this season, having netted 15 times in 39 appearances, and four of his last six goals have come away from home.
Prediction
It appears that Leeds are starting to feel the pressure in the Championship title race and, having slipped up on their last two away trips at Portsmouth and QPR, they may not have things all their own way at Luton.
Farke’s flock have kept only one clean sheet in their last seven league games and in Luton they are meeting a side finding form as they attempt to claw themselves away from relegation trouble.
After a slow start, Hatters boss Bloomfield is starting to get a tune out of his players and, having competed in last season’s Premier League, his team clearly inherit much greater quality than their 23rd place suggests.
Luton have lost only one of their last five league games, tightening things up defensively with three clean sheets in that period, and they could frustrate a Leeds side who are displaying signs of a few cracks.
Win up to £250,000 with LiveScore 6!
Win up to £250,000 with our free-to-play game, LiveScore 6!
