New Year's Day Championship 3pm Kick-Offs: See in 2018 with home comforts

Derby 2.22 v Sheffield United 3.90; The Draw 3.40

Any team that goes unbeaten over the festive period deserve enormous credit; to play four game in eight or nine days is a big ask and not many teams will come through unscathed.

For the above reason it's also a time of the season that I don't like to go overboard on bets, so many shock results occur and often it's just best to keep matters simple.

Potential wagers don't jump off the screen on New Year's Day any more so than Derby at home to Sheffield United. Gary Rowett's men are one of the teams yet to taste defeat over the festive period, in fact they were unbeaten in the whole of December, taking 16 points from a possible 18 meaning they ended 2017 in second place in the table.

The Rams have conceded just a single goal in their current six-game unbeaten run, and back on home soil they look to be the best bet of the day at an odds-against price against out-of-form Sheffield United.

The Blades had a magnificent start to the season, and even topped the table at one stage after winning 12 of their opening 17 league matches. But Chris Wilder's men have since won just one of their last eight, losing five and drawing the other two in that time.

Saturday's home defeat to struggling Bolton was a big disappointment so Wilder's men are easy to take on given they are winless in three away games, conceded six goals in that time, and now face a Derby side at the top of their game.

Recommended Bet
Back Derby to Win @ 2.22 (best bet)

Leeds 2.00 v Nottm Forest 4.50; The Draw 3.60

Despite a surprising loss to bottom-of-the-table Birmingham on Saturday - emphasising my point about shock results - Leeds also look a decent bet at home to manager-less Nottm Forest on the first day of 2018.

Thomas Christiansen's men had been steadily climbing the table prior to Saturday's defeat, and still remain in fifth place thanks to a six-game spell where, like Derby, they took an impressive 16 points from the 18 available.

Leeds have also been excellent at Elland Road of late, winning three and drawing one of their last four matches which were against Middlesbrough, Aston Villa, Norwich, and Hull, four teams who were playing Premier League football not too long ago.

Christiansen's men won the last of those two home games without conceding a goal, and they now host a Nottm Forest side who sacked Mark Warburton on Sunday morning following his side's home defeat to Sunderland on Saturday.

Forest have taken just a single point from the last 12 available, and away from home they have drawn one, and lost four, of their last five league matches, conceding an average of more than two goals per game.

Recommended Bet
Back Leeds to Win @ 2.00

Sunderland 2.28 v Barnsley 3.70; The Draw 3.40

Having gone for two solid-looking home selections based on form I admit that I'm taking a bit of a chance by going for Sunderland, who had a dreadful home record in 2017, to start the new year with a bang.

The Black Cats went something like 25 games in 2017 at the Stadium of Light without winning, before a late goal just before Christmas saw Chris Coleman's men beat in-form Fulham 1-0.

That was a huge monkey off their back; going a full calendar year without winning a single game on home soil would have made plenty of headlines and you just sense that now they've broken that dreadful spell - they followed it a week later with a home draw - and that we're now into a new year, then things could be completely different at the Stadium of Light.

Coleman's men recorded a very good away win at Nottm Forest on Saturday which means they'll start 2018 out of the relegation zone, and if they can take all three points in this encounter then they'll jump above their opponents Barnsley meaning they really can start looking up the table.

The Tykes sit just one point and one place above Sunderland and go into Monday's game on the back of 10 games without a win. They had a great chance to beat Reading at home on Saturday and you just feel that confidence must be at a complete low having failed to do so.

Recommended Bet
Back Sunderland to Win @ 2.28