The Cards Column Tips: MD21 Player Cards, Team Bookings and Referee Data

Rodri and Plymouth landed two out of three winners for Matt Kirby last week in his cards and bookings tips.

There are five more Premier League matches as MD21 is wrapped up. Plus, there’s a full slate of fixtures in the Football League.

• Blackburn vs Huddersfield: Over 3.5 cards & each team a second-half card
• Sheffield Wednesday vs Coventry: Akin Famewo To Be Booked
• Leicester vs Ipswich: Harry Clarke To Be Booked

Odds via bet365 as of 21:30, January 18th. Odds may now differ.

The Data from the Premier League and the Championship: Team Bookings and Referee Data

Darren England has just had his second Premier League game since that VAR fiasco. His last two games in the league and cup have seen him show a red card. Michael Salisbury is allowed out of the room to take charge of Sheffield Utd against West Ham.

Select Group 1 official Rob Jones oversees Hull’s trip to Sunderland on Friday night. Meanwhile, Ollie Langford, David Webb, and Josh Smith all have games in front of the TV cameras. Smith will take charge of the meeting between the top-two sides in the second tier.

The Data from League One and League Two: Team Bookings and Referee Data

Neil Hair was drafted late to a game last weekend. He showed a red card, taking him to three in his last six. Also, there are matches for Simon Mather (6.5 cards per 90) and Scott Simpson (5.7 cards per game) – two of the highest card issuers on the National List.

Blackburn vs Huddersfield: Lightning to strike twice

England, Championship, Saturday, January 20th, 15:00 (UK)

Blackburn and Huddersfield are sides that could do with a change in fortunes going into their clash at Ewood Park.

Rovers have been on a rotten run, with just one win in nine in the Championship (D1 L7), after they were brushed aside by West Brom last weekend. I know I went for Blackburn cards in that one, but the game state of being 3-0 down inside 33 minutes did us no favours.

However, I have to go to the well again in a Blackburn game, as they rank fourth for cards in home games (2.6 per 90).

Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side has seen 2+ cards in 10 of 13 home games, so I can see them doing most of the lifting for cards. Also, I have to roll out the old classic of over 3.5 cards & each team a second-half card.

I saw the line set at 3.5 on Bet365, and I feel that’s low when Blackburn are involved. Plus, referee James Linington can have his moments of throwing cards around for fun. He averages 4.6 cards per game and has shown 4+ in 60% of his league matches.

Linington’s last seven in the league have seen card totals of 4, 10, 8, 2, 5, 3 & 5. Plenty there to show my interest in cards when he’s in charge.

This will be his third visit to Ewood Park this season. His previous two have both seen five cards, with this bet landing in both of those against Bristol City and Leicester.

What’s more, when these sides met on Boxing Day, there were five cards, and four went to Blackburn. Three of those came after the break, while Tom Lees was Huddersfield’s only player cautioned – that came in the 49th minute.

I always like cards in games involving Blackburn, so I’m hoping lightning will strike twice when they host Huddersfield by taking this 2.05 punt.

• Selection: Over 3.5 cards & each team a second-half card (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 2.05
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 10/10

Akin Famewo To Be Booked: The left-back trend

England, Championship, Saturday, January 20th, 15:00 (UK)

Coventry travel to Sheffield Wednesday in what has become the second leg of their trilogy, with the sides meeting in the FA Cup fourth round next week. The Sky Blues ran out 2-0 winners on Boxing Day and have continued their great form.

Mark Robins has seen his side go unbeaten in eight in the league, following last weekend’s humbling of leaders Leicester. That win saw plenty of cards and has seen them climb into the play-off places.

They will aim to extend their good run against a Wednesday side, who have steadily improved under Danny Rohl, but still sit in the relegation zone.

My player pick comes in this one for several reasons. Let’s start with the fact that both sides had a man sent-off for handbags after the final whistle on Boxing Day, with Liam Kitching and Bambo Diaby being the culprits.

That could mean there’s an edge right from the first whistle to keep Anthony Backhouse busy. The referee has shown 4+ cards in eight of his 11 league matches, including showing nine cards in Northampton’s League One game against Wigan last Saturday.

With a referee averaging 4.2 cards per game, it might be worth looking at the Sheffield Wednesday left-back to see yellow.

Here’s the caveat, Akin Famewo and Marvin Johnson have both played in that position in recent weeks, with Famewo sustaining a knock against Preston. Famewo came off the bench last weekend, so he could return to the starting XI, allowing Johnson to start further forward.

That’s what I’m hoping will be the case. Although both are priced at 6.50 on Bet365, there’s a lot more juice in the price of Famewo (four league yellows) than Johnson (one league yellow).

In four of his last eight appearances of 45+ minutes, Famewo has committed two fouls. That should bring him to the referee’s attention; he’s usually quite clumsy and reckless in some of those challenges.

What helps us further is that his direct opponent is the in-form Tatsuhiro Sakamoto. The Japanese midfielder is fouled an average of 1.5 per game – the most of any Coventry player.

Three left-backs have been booked facing him in the Sky Blues’ last five games. They include Sunderland’s Trai Hume, Swansea’s Josh Tymon…. Oh, and Wednesday’s Famewo when the sides met on Boxing Day.

The more I stack everything together, the more I like the price on Famewo. It’ll be a case of sitting tight and hoping he’s in the team news when it’s released at 14:00 on Saturday.

• Selection: Akin Famewo to be booked (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 6.50
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 7/10

Harry Clarke To Be Booked: Mavididi to prove a nuisance

England, Championship, Monday, January 22nd, 20:00 (UK)

It’s all eye on King Power Stadium on Monday night as the top two in the Championship face off. Leicester are eager to bounce back from defeat at Coventry, while Ipswich continue to stave off those breathing down their neck.

When talking about the Foxes, you have to look at the influence of Stephy Mavididi. He is a player likely to be in the running for the Championship Player of the Season accolade.

With nine goals and four assists, Mavididi has orchestrated plenty of Leicester attacks, averaging 1.6 dribbles per game, the same number of key passes, and winning 1.1 fouls per 90.

Observing Leicester’s attack, it’s evident that 39% of play comes down their left, mainly through Mavididi, which can only mean one thing.

The Ipswich right-back is going to have his hands full, whether dealing with Mavididi or with the marauding James Justin.

That leads me to make Harry Clarke my second player pick for a card this weekend. The former Arsenal man has been around the houses in the early days of his career, but seems to have settled in well at Portman Road.

He’s an aggressive defender who likes to attack, so will try to get forward to support his teammates in the final third.

Defensively, he can certainly fly into a challenge. I saw that myself during his loan spell at Stoke, so I know he’s useful for a card.

Clarke has picked up four cautions in the Championship, three of which have come in his last five games.

When you see who he’s been up against when earning those cards proves the logic. It was Crysencio Summerville for Leeds and Jack Clarke for Sunderland. Both are of the same direct attacking calibre as Mavididi. He’s 4.75 for a card, which looks rather appealing.

You might also be interested in his card times. Against Leeds, he saw yellow in the 29th minute. Against Sunderland, it was the 24th minute.

Guess what? Those were the first cards in each game. So, fans of a longshot might be interested to know that Clarke is priced at 15.00 to be the first player booked.

• Selection: Harry Clarke to be booked (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 4.75
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 7/10

SAFER GAMBLING

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