A Derby top six finish in the Championship has happened in three of the last four seasons.
The Rams are consistent challengers for promotion, so another change of coach isn’t a problem. Phillip Cocu started his time in charge of the East Midlands outfit with victory at relegated Huddersfield Town.
Bookmakers Betway reacted to this win by cutting the odds for a Derby top six finish into 7/4. Although that means punters missed the pre-season price of 9/4, there’s still value in backing the Rams.
The beauty of this bet is it pays out whether Derby finally do get promoted or not. They just have to finish in the top six again.
If there were any concerns about County losing some of their loan stars from last season, recent transfer activity allays them.
Kieran Dowell is proven at Championship level after spells with Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United.
He looks an able deputy for Mason Mount in midfield alongside £10,000,000 signing Krystian Bielik from Arsenal.
That Polish prospect can also play in defence, where Derby have loaned in Matthew Clarke from Brighton too. He takes over from Rams player of the year Fikayo Tomori.
Strong squad suggests Derby top six finish again
Tom Lawrence, meanwhile, bagged a brace and proved the match winner for County in West Yorkshire. The Wales winger is already a third of the way to last season’s Championship goal tally.
With Martyn Waghorn and Jack Marriott among their striking options, Derby still have strength-in-depth.
There’s also talk of Wayne Rooney getting a player-coach role at Pride Park. Whether the former England and Manchester United captain would leave the MLS remains unknown.
The Rams really look a solid bet for the play-offs minimum again. Their early season fixtures give them the chance of laying down a marker in yet another promotion bid.
County look just as strong as last season on paper and, if following-up on their season opener, are sure to be in the mix.
Bet of the Day: 7/4 with Betway, a Derby top six finish in the Championship.
