Championship 
/ Andrew French / 05 April 2012 / Leave a Comment 
Reading players celebrate following their crucial win over West Ham last weekend
"Reading have won 11 of their last 13 games including last week's 4-2 success at promotion rivals West Ham."
It's all about momentum at this stage of the season, and Reading have it says Andrew French as the Royals look to cement their promotion push by beating inconsistent Leeds.
Reading v Leeds, KO: Good Friday 14:00, live on Sky Sports 1, Match Odds: Reading [1.62], Leeds [6.4], The Draw [4.2]
Unless they suddenly hit a streak of good form, Leeds look destined for another season of Championship football: and a trip to Reading is the last thing you'd want when trying to kick-start a run to carry you into the play-offs. Neil Warnock has said himself he'd be surprised if his side go up this year, and given they have won only two of their last eight, you can see why.
Reading, meanwhile, have been imperious since the turn of the year. They have won 11 of their last 13 games including last week's 4-2 success at promotion rivals West Ham. The Royals have won their last six at home, and have generally taken control of recent games at the Madejski early on: in each of their last five home games they have been in front at the break and gone on to win. Against a side with such fragile confidence as Leeds, they can do the same again here.
Back Reading HT/Reading FT @ [2.6]
Nottingham Forest v Bristol City, KO: Saturday 17:20, live on Sky Sports 2, Match Odds: Nottm Forest [1.83], Bristol City [5.0], The Draw [3.8]
It's probably taken longer than he would have liked, but Steve Cotterill appears to have guided Nottingham Forest to safety. They were next to bottom as recently as mid-February but a run of only two defeats in 10 has lifted them up to 19th and six points clear of the drop zone.
Bristol City are heading in the opposite direction amid a sequence of just one win in 13 games - they were 19th at the end of January, and now they are 22nd. They have gone seven without an away win, during which time they have scored just one goal. A win here would just about end Forest's lingering concerns, and with the current gulf in form, home advantage should be telling.
Watford v Blackpool, KO: Good Friday 15:00, Match Odds: Watford [2.66], Blackpool [2.84], The Draw [3.5]
Being a Watford fan, I have to confess I expected to be sweating about relegation around now. So, the achievements of Sean Dyche and his squad have been a hugely pleasant surprise: I certainly could never have foreseen them having a chance of reaching the play-offs. Yet the Hornets are the in-form side at the moment, unbeaten in seven and with three successive wins to their credit.
On-loan Manchester United keeper Tomasz Kuszczak has clearly made a difference with three clean sheets in his last four outings: Watford had only managed seven shut-outs in 33 games before he arrived.
I can see the Hornets improving their recent run of four wins in six at home against a Blackpool side that has been inconsistent despite their high current placing in the league table. Ian Holloway's side claimed a fine win over leaders Southampton last weekend, but it was only their second success in seven attempts. They have lost their last three away games and conceded eight goals in the process.
West Ham will have to arrest a run of five successive home draws if they are to climb above Reading into the automatic promotion places......
There's a huge game at the top of the table when West Ham host Reading, but Andrew French also previews Coventry and Portsmouth's games as they attempt to avoid relegation....
After five home draws in a row and seven draws from their last 10 games it's been a frustrating time for West Ham, but Andrew French believes they are an excellent price to beat out-of-form Peterborough in midweek....
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