Fulham vs Cardiff Odds & Preview: EFL Championship Playoffs Leg 2
- Place in Wembley promotion shoot-out final is at stake in London at 2:45 pm EST on Thursday
- Fulham lead 2-0 after first leg win in Wales with goals from Josh Onomah and Neeskens Kebano
- See all odds and best bets for England EFL Championship Playoffs Leg 2 Fulham vs Cardiff
Fulham will take a two-goal advantage into the second leg of the English EFL championship promotion playoff against Cardiff City in London on Thursday.
Scott Parker’s Fulham team were 2-0 winners in the first leg in Wales on Monday as they attempt to reach the final at Wembley on Tuesday, August 4.
They dominated the first game from start to finish with their slick possession play and won thanks to a superb individual goal from Josh Onomah in the 49th minute followed by a free-kick strike from Neeskens Kebano in added time.
EFL Championship Playoff Fulham vs Cardiff Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total at DraftKings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fulham | -1 (+200) | -104 | O 2.5 (+115) |
| Cardiff City | +1 (-265) | +290 | U 2.5 (-143) |
| Draw | N/A | +235 | N/A |
Odds taken July 28
The oddsmakers make Fulham -104 favorites for a win in the second leg which kicks off at Craven Cottage stadium at 2:45 pm EST on Thursday.
Two-Goal Lead Looks Secure
No team has ever failed to reach the Championship playoff final after winning the semifinal first leg by two or more goals, which has happened 15 times.
Cardiff are priced at a wide +290 with a draw over 90 minutes at +235.
Some way to seal it! 🤩 #EFL | #EFLPlayOffs | #StepUp pic.twitter.com/dpJeOAVk3n
— Sky Bet Championship (@SkyBetChamp) July 27, 2020
Only a win by the Welsh team can take the tie into extra time if aggregate scores are level at the end of normal time.
The spread offer for Fulham to win by one goal or more looks very attractive at +200 given the way they dominated the first meeting.
Given the fact that Cardiff have to go hunting for goals, they could become exposed at the back.
Fulham were 2-0 winners in a regular season match at Craven Cottage on July 10.
Given the fact that Cardiff have to go hunting for goals, they could become exposed at the back – allowing the London side to potentially improve upon that home result earlier this month.
Cardiff City manager Neil Harris says his side are still capable of making the play-off final after losing the first leg of their semi-final 2-0 to Fulham pic.twitter.com/J5mWJ3eG4v
— BBC Sport Wales (@BBCSportWales) July 28, 2020
It also seems likely that Fulham will again have the services of the division’s leading striker Alexsandr Mitrovic, who was forced out of action just before the game in Cardiff with a slight hamstring problem.
The Serbian striker hit 26 regular season goals and Fulham coach Parker is hopeful that he will be available on Thursday.
Fulham vs Cardiff Statistics
| 24 | Wins | 19 |
| 11 | Losses | 12 |
| 16 | Draws | 12 |
| 66 | Goals | 68 |
| 48 | Goals Against | 60 |
| 18 | Clean Sheets | 14 |
| 78 | Yellow Cards | 68 |
| 2 | Red Cards | 5 |
*Includes regular season and playoff first leg game
Both teams are seeking to make an instant return to the Premier League after relegation last season.
Fulham qualified for the playoffs after finishing fourth in the Championship regular season with 81 points while Cardiff were fifth with a total of 73 points.
At home, Fulham had the third-best record in the competition over the regular season – winning 15 times, losing six games and drawing twice. They scored 40 times on their own patch while conceding 26 goals.
Four Away Wins in Five
Cardiff coach Harris’s teams are renowned for their battling spirit and they have won four of their last five away games with the July 10 setback at Fulham the only defeat in that spell.
In the regular season on the road, Cardiff’s statistics were the ninth-best with eight wins, eight defeats and seven draws – with 33 goals scored and 37 conceded.
🔥 𝐌 𝐢 𝐭 𝐫 𝐨 𝐯 𝐢 𝐜 🔥#EFL | @FulhamFC pic.twitter.com/92tkOQeKxG
— Sky Bet Championship (@SkyBetChamp) July 27, 2020
Monday’s win at the Cardiff City Stadium made it six wins and two draws in the last eight games for Fulham since their 3-0 defeat by champions Leeds United on June 27.
They had a chance of seizing the automatic second place promotion spot until the final day of the Championship regular season.
Cardiff claimed their playoff place with a run of three consecutive wins at the end of the regular campaign.
But they were held 1-1 at Wigan Athletic in their last match.
Cardiff claimed their playoff place with a run of three consecutive wins at the end of the regular campaign.
Thank you all @FulhamFC supporters worldwide, + a huge, huge thanks to our squad & staff for this fantastic performance tonight in the first leg of the Play-Offs Semifinals! We’re ahead 2-0 going into Thursday, & we have a great squad with everything to play for! Come on Fulham! pic.twitter.com/wWvo4ONT8j
— Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) July 27, 2020
That came after they had endured some jitters with a 3-2 home defeat by Blackburn Rovers and the setback at Fulham.
They rescued their hopes with a win 2-1 at home to Derby County and then a 3-1 away at Middlesbrough before a 3-0 win at home against bottom club Hull City secured fifth spot.
The Cardiff boss has admitted his team face “an uphill battle,” at Fulham’s home by the River Thames in west London and I agree with his assessment and will back Fulham on the spread.
Pick: Fulham -1 (+200)
John Dillon is a leading member of the UK's sporting media, having spent three decades as a national newspaper soccer and sports writer, broadcaster and author. He has covered five World Cups, six European Championships and was Chief Sports Writer at the Daily Express for 14 years.
