Brighton v Reading Betting Tips & Preview

It’s often hypothetical whether there’s an advantage to be gained by kicking-off later than your rivals but Brighton stand to gain more than they lose by letting leaders Newcastle and third-placed Huddersfield go first on Saturday afternoon. If both teams triumph, the pressure riding on this game is hardly any greater than it would have been anyway.

But should either team drop points - Huddersfield, especially - then it’s likely to provide the Seagulls with a shot in the arm. The pervading mood around the Amex will be one of opportunity rather than obligation, as fans down their pints on the stroke of five o’clock and head for the turnstiles with an added spring in their step, nerves non-existent.

Brighton’s last home game - an uninspiring 1-1 draw with Ipswich - was notable for the anxiety that surfaced among the crowd, an understandable development for a club that has spent 34 years outside the top flight. But a commanding 2-0 win at Barnsley last weekend ought to have eased growing concerns about the team’s ability to hold their nerve.

Reading appear to have accepted defeat in the race for automatic following Tuesday’s late defeat Huddersfield, their resistance eventually broken on 82 minutes and though they put up a decent fight against the Terriers, they run the risk of being bowled over early on here. Stick a point on the Brighton/Brighton half time/full time bet at 7/4.