Sheffield United vs Wigan betting tips

Sheffield United and Wigan will both be feeling a good deal more positive about things going into their head to head on Sunday if West Ham fail to get anything from their game at Old Trafford the day before. If Wigan beat Neil Warnock's men and Manchester United outpoint West Ham, then both will survive. But the Lattics, without a win in their last eight and on the back of three successive defeats, will need to be at the top of their game to beat the Blades in what is likely to be a full house at Bramall Lane. Sheff United have done extremely well in their backyard this season and few will be able to question whether they deserve to stay up, if indeed they do. They've lost just one of their last eight home league fixtures, five of which they've won - four without conceding! In charge of proceedings is one of the strictest Premiership referee's in 2007. To suggest Mike Dean might have a touch of Latin blood in him might not be quite such an outrageous suggestion as some may think. The top flight official has been on something of a mission in 2007 with a spectacularly high number of bookings and red cards. In his last fourteen matches in all competitions, Dean has averaged 65 booking points with half those matches involving a red card. In fact in his last eight matches he has flashed red SIX times. Those kind of stats really do make bookings players leap up and take notice - especially when his next appointment is for Sheffield United v Wigan - a multi-multi million pound game. The Blades need just a point for survival, while defeat would see them down if West Ham pick up at least a point against United, or the Blades lose their three-goal superior goal difference over the Hammers. For Wigan the equation is a little simpler - win or bust. It will not be a match for the feint hearted and more than 60 points at 11/8 at bluesq looks a sizeable investment. Remember Dean has averaged well over 60 over the past few months, so a relegation tussle of massive importance ought to produce the required number of cards to exceed the 60-point threshold. In addition as Dean has been dishing out red cards for fun of late - don't be shy of taking the 5/2 for someone to receive their marching orders. Annoyingly one game when he didn't show red was West Ham v Chelsea when he took over from Mike Riley - on that occasion this site was heavily invested in bookings galore and a red card. Fortunately the seven cards sufficed for a healthy profit. My one small reservation to this bet is if West Ham concede plenty in the first half at Old Trafford. That said West Ham are playing well enough to hold their own against a team that have nothing to play for. Verdicts: 8pts More than 60 bookings points @ 11/82pts Red Card @ 5/2Both Ladbrokes