Derby County v Luton Town: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Both Derby County and Luton Town have four games left to save their season and home advantage could be all-important in this crunch clash at the wrong end of the Championship table.

Having been relegated from the Premier League last season, the Hatters have continued in a similar vein and they find themselves three points adrift of Derby and of safety.

Town will be desperate to avoid suffering successive relegations from the top-flight to League One, but last weekend’s 1-0 defeat at home to ten-man Blackburn Rovers was a pivotal blow to their survival hopes.

It makes this a must-win fixture with the Rams going six points above them with victory, pointing to it being a potentially cagey contest.

Luton’s form has picked up when they need it most - they have lost only two of their last eight - but the same can be said for County, who have lost only one of their last seven and yielded maximum points in four of those fixtures.

Derby County v Luton Town betting tips and predictions

Derby to win - 11/8

When manager John Eustace swapped play-off-chasing Blackburn for relegation-threatened Derby in February there were plenty who would have bemoaned his decision.

The Rams looked destined to return to League One but, after a slow start which saw them lose his first three games in charge, Eustace completely changed their fortunes.

County have taken 14 points from their last seven matches to move out of the Championship relegation zone and it is their performances at Pride Park which have been catching the eye.

Eustace’s side had won three home games in a row against his former employers Blackburn, Coventry City and Preston North End before they held title-chasing Burnley to a goalless draw.

That is strong form and they may be confident of building that against visitors Luton, who are second-bottom and three points below them in the table.

The Hatters have also improved in recent weeks, but last weekend’s 1-0 loss at home to ten-man Blackburn was a cruel blow and means they have managed more than one goal in only one of their last 14 Championship matches.

With Derby having kept three clean sheets in a row at home, the toothless visitors may struggle to break them down.

Over 4.5 cards - 6/5

With Championship status on the line in a game where goals are likely to be in short supply, tempers could flare and the match officials could be in for a busy afternoon.

Derby were involved in a similar fixture with Portsmouth last time out and that 2-2 draw on the south coast featured nine bookings, while there were six cards in Luton’s latest 1-0 defeat at home to Blackburn.

When Town edged past the Rams 2-1 at home in December, there were four yellow cards and, given what is on the line this time around, there is every prospect that this encounter surpasses that total.

Jerry Yates anytime goalscorer - 10/3

Jerry Yates is Derby’s leading scorer this season with nine goals in 38 league appearances and, having scored in two of the Rams’ last three matches, he looks a big price to get on the scoresheet in this relegation rumble.

The 28-year-old has missed only one of the 10 matches that Eustace has overseen and that came in defeat at his parent club Swansea City, when he was ineligible.

The home side are defensively solid but not the most explosive of outfits, leaving striker Yates as their biggest scoring threat.

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Derby County v Luton Town odds

Derby County - 11/8
Draw - 2/1
Luton Town - 9/4

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.

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