British betting preview

English Championship
Watford v QPR
QPR are in the news for all the wrong reasons this weekend but have to go about their business as usual when they make their short visit to face rivals Watford tomorrow.
Watford have impressed many with their style of play and earned a lot of plaudits for being so attacking. It has been their downfall as well at times but they have played some excellent stuff which is the philosophy of their manager, Malky Mackay, who played under Tommy Burns at Celtic. Burns lived and breathed attacking football which has rubbed off on so many of his former players. Watford are the third highest goal scorers with Leeds and Norwich being the only two sides to have scored more. Unsurprisingly, as they are lying in mid-table with so many goals, they have conceded the second most amount of goals in the 14. Such a record tells you that it’s anything but dull at Vicarage Road. Their home form this season has been strong enough with nine wins and six defeats from 22 games. Things have tailed off of late as they were in and around the play-off positions for much of the season. It would have surpassed all expectation had they managed to achieve such a position but it does bode well for the future as Mackay is building an emerging side.
QPR have led the table for the majority of the season and have always been firm favourites to go up as Champions. This weekend, however, could see all that unravel as there are media reports suggesting they may be docked points for illegal ownership of a player. It could have serious repercussions for Neil Warnock and his side as they may well be demoted several places which could mean a finish in the play-offs, rather than champions. The next few days will be interesting but until then, Rangers have to get on with matters on the park. Clearly the best side in the division, QPR will be determined to get as many points as possible before worrying about the reports today. They have lost just five games all season long which is a fantastic record for a club in the Championship. Their last 10 away matches on the road have yielded four victories with two defeats. They are notoriously hard to beat when on their game which can make all the difference in this division.
Fixtures between these two sides have been entertaining in the past. As it’s a derby there will be plenty of stake tomorrow despite the end of season nearing. Watford are one of the few sides to have defeated Rangers this season when they won 3-1 at Loftus Road in December. They will be going all out in their last home match of the season and their fans will demand them to attack. That could play into QPR’s hands with so much pace going forward. They need a point to ensure they can mathematically go up, before any points deduction, so the motivation is there.
There is a lot to suggest that there will be goals in this match so both teams to score looks a value but. QPR also look attractive at the prices and with everything going on away from the football, it would be just like a Neil Warnock side to stick two fingers up to everyone else with a win.
My Selections: Both teams to score at a best priced 8/11 available with 888Sport
QPR to beat Watford at a best priced 7/5 available with Victor Chandler

Scottish Premier League
Kilmarnock v Hearts
This weekend see’s the second fixtures since the SPL slit into a top and bottom six. This fixture takes place in the former section of the two where Hearts are desperate for points to secure third place.
Since Mixu Paatelainen left the Kilmarnock job earlier this year to take over his native Finland, Killie have ended up on the slide. They have won just one match from their last six which is easily their worst form of what has been an impressive season. They have suffered heavy defeats to Celtic and Dundee United in recent weeks, shipping eight goals in the process. An argument could also be made that they have failed to replace the goals of their former striker Connor Sammon who left for Wigan in January. Despite coping well enough in the immediate aftermath of his departure, it can often take a few weeks for such an absence to take effect.
Jim Jefferies will be delighted with his side’s attitude and performance this season. After taking over the reins halfway through last season, he has surely exceeded all expectations by guiding the club to finish best of the rest. There was even a period during the season where there was talk of the club from the capital splitting the big two such was their good run of form. That is a distant memory now but they can be proud of their exploits. Seven points separate themselves and Dundee United so one more win would secure that coveted third spot and the European entry it brings. Tomorrow’s opponents will not be easy, however, as they have already lost twice to the Ayrshire club this season. Both defeats have come at Tynecastle whereas their last visit to Rugby Park resulted in a 2-1 success despite going behind.
Hearts look to have done enough to secure the third spot but they know they cannot rest on their laurels just yet. Dundee United are in good form and are capable of finishing the season strongly. With that being the case, Jefferies will be stressing the point to his players that they have to go out all guns blazing and make sure of their position. Having already won at his old stomping ground (Jefferies used to manage Kilmarnock), he knows what it takes. That victory was when Kilmarnock were performing well so that fact they are now struggling, makes the away win even more appealing.
My Selection: Hearts to beat Kilmarnock
Best odds available: 28/17 available with Bwin