Brentford vs Sunderland — Tips & Analysis

Sunderland +1: Brentford do not win big. They have won by 2 or more goals in only 3 of their last 18 games, and they have tied 10 of those 18. At their own ground they have 2 wins, 5 ties and 1 loss, so this is a team that grinds out narrow results. They are playing well right now, and they beat Tottenham 3-0 at home, but that pattern is hard to ignore. Sunderland are a strange team. They score more than a goal a game on the road and under a goal a game at their own ground, so the trip suits them. Away from home they have won 4, tied 2 and lost 4. More to the point, they have lost by 2 or more goals in only 2 of their last 17 games. Brentford are also without Milambo and van den Berg. A 2-1 Brentford win is the likely score, and that is the honest problem here. A one goal home win does not get this pick home in full, so what we want is Sunderland to take a point. Their away record says that is well in play. The warning is that Brentford can turn a tight game into a comfortable one, as Tottenham found out. We are still happy to take Sunderland with the goals start.