Watford vs Derby Odds & Prediction – EFL Championship Round 31

• Promotion-chasing Watford meet resurgent Derby at 2:45 pm ET on Friday
• Coach Rooney has revitalized County in his first management job
• See all odds and best bets for EFL Championship Watford vs Derby

Watford will seek a third successive win when they attempt to boost their English EFL Championship promotion campaign against Derby County on Friday.

Struggling Derby have also found good form recently with five wins from the last six games as they have surged out of the relegation zone.

EFL Watford vs Derby Odds

Odds taken from DraftKings on February 18

In fourth place, Watford have returned to winning ways after a recent blip and are rated as wide favorites this timeout with DraftKings at -112.

Coach Wayne Rooney has made major improvements at Derby and they have won their last two EFL outings. But they are priced at +330. The draw is +220 with kickoff at 2:45 pm ET on Friday.

Relentless and demanding, the Championship schedule is a grueling one and this will be the third game in less than a week for both teams – with Derby in 17th place.

So the element of weariness that may be present points towards the draw being the best value. And it is a decent price.

Playoff Contenders All Season

After relegation last season, Watford are seeking an instant return to the Premier League. They have been in contention around the playoff zone all through the campaign.

Recently, they have maintained their challenge with a  run of five wins in eight games – with only one defeat.

📊 Only Watford (17) and Brentford (16) have collected more points in the Championship than Derby (15) since Wayne Rooney was appointed permanent manager on January 15 @dcfcofficial pic.twitter.com/KS8vXpEbCP

— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) February 17, 2021

Most recently, they were 1-0 winners at Preston North End last Tuesday thanks to a penalty winner from teenager Joao Pedro.

This followed a 6-0 thrashing at home of an injury-hit and struggling Bristol City side.

EFL Watford vs Derby Statistics

However, this recovery had followed a three-match spell without a win for Watford – two draws and one defeat – which had introduced some doubts about their ability to last the course.

This illustrates the fact that it is extremely difficult for most teams to establish consistency in a league that is known for its fiercely competitive and erratic nature.

Prior to that brief stuttering spell, Spanish coach Xisco Munoz’s men had won three successive league games.

This only serves further to underline the huge swings in fortune which can typify the EFL Championship.

Munoz has taken 20 points from his 10 league matches in charge at a club where the coach is changed with regularity.

Watford winger Ismaila Sarr's agent: "With Liverpool, a few days ago, we were at the stage of signing the contract. Everything was done. I even asked Sadio Mane to find him an apartment. But Liverpool could not put £35m on the table to finalise this case.” #awlfc [hitc] pic.twitter.com/MmWAmR8okE

— Anfield Watch (@AnfieldWatch) February 11, 2021

There have been four clean sheets in the last five matches which confirms that he has added solidity at the back while pursuing a 4-3-3 formation. In fact, Watford have a notable 15 clean sheets overall.

Even the recent run of three games without a win featured two goalless draws.

Impressive Home Record

At home Watford have the best record in the division with 11 wins, two draws and only two defeats.

They have scored 30 times on their own patch at Vicarage Road while conceding only 11 goals.

On the road, Derby are the 12th best team in the division overall with five wins, three draws and six defeats.

Landmarks reached on Tuesday night ✨

▪️ Andre Wisdom: 200th career start and first league goal
▪️ Craig Forsyth: 300th career start
▪️ @NathanByrne_: 350th career appearance
▪️ @georgedmundson4: Derby County debut
▪️ @TedenMengi: First-ever senior start

🙌🖤 pic.twitter.com/DpEF7wiReP

— Derby County (@dcfcofficial) February 17, 2021

Two victories in their last two away games have improved those statistics with the most recent result a 2-1 win at struggling Wycombe Wanderers last Tuesday.

Former England and Manchester United superstar Rooney has had a galvanizing effect since taking on his first management job at Derby.

When he took sole charge on an interim basis late last November, the team were bottom of the league and six points from the safety zone following a run of four straight defeats under former boss Phillip Cocu.

There were three wins and four draws in Rooney’s opening eight games in command and Derby moved out of the relegation spots before the turn of the year.

Rooney was handed the management job on a full-time basis on January 15 since when the improvement has continued.

Former England boss Steve McLaren has been drafted in as an advisor.

But Rooney was handed the management job on a full-time basis on January 15 since when the improvement has continued.

There have been few frills about the way Rooney has transformed Derby’s season.

But has succeeded by introducing a grittiness into their make-up in keeping with his reputation as a tough-minded serial winner in club football.

🤕 The latest on Deeney, Ngakia, Navarro, Foster and Kabasele ahead of tomorrow night's clash with @dcfcofficial…

— Watford Football Club 💙 (@WatfordFC) February 18, 2021

He has been intensely demanding and it has paid off.

Since Rooney was put in solitary command, Derby have played 15 league fixtures.

During that spell, they have earned 27 points from eight wins and three draws. There have been eight clean sheets in those 15 matches.

There was a 1-0 win for Watford the last time the teams met at Derby last October.

Pick: Draw +220