There’s another fascinating set of Championship fixtures kicking off at 3pm on Saturday and Jack Critchley is expecting an entertaining encounter in BS3…
Two dodgy defences expected to leak heavily
Bristol City 2.3411/8 v Birmingham 3.211/5; The Draw 3.55/2
Consistency hasn’t been a word associated with Bristol City this season with Nigel Pearson’s side having failed to win consecutive matches in the Championship so far this campaign. The Robins are 11 points clear of the bottom three, so have few concerns about being sucked into a relegation battle, but they currently possess the third worst defensive record in the division.
It’s15 matches since the Robins last kept a clean sheet, although they’ve managed to find the back of the net in 14 of those contests. Their fans may have bemoaned the team’s inability to defend, but following Bristol City has been highly entertaining with their games averaging 3.09 goals this campaign.
With a total of 27 goals across their last seven home matches, this contest is unlikely to be a drab goalless draw.
Birmingham slipped to a 2-0 loss against Huddersfield last weekend and they will be looking to bounce back here. It was the first time in 11 matches that the Blues had drawn a blank, however, they’d notched six times in their three previous outings.
The visitors have significant problems at the back and having conceded 15 times in their last eight matches, they are unlikely to keep a clean sheet on Saturday afternoon. With makeshift centre-back Maxime Colin limping off seven days ago, they are left with very few options in the middle and midfielder Gary Gardner may be forced to deputise at the back once again.
Back Over 2.5 Goals in Bristol City vs Birmingham @ 1.9210/11
Exhausted Hatters to be edged out in Teesside
Middlesbrough 1.9310/11 v Luton 4.47/2; The Draw 3.65
Middlesbrough produced another FA Cup shock on Tuesday night as they beat Spurs in extra time at the Riverside Stadium. Chris Wilder’s side have struggled on the road recently but are formidable on their own patch.
They’ve won seven consecutive home matches and have conceded just three times during that sequence. Wilder’s men have beaten some decent sides during that run including against promotion-chasing Bournemouth and play-off contenders Nottingham Forest.
Luton were also in midweek FA Cup action and almost took Chelsea to extra time on Wednesday evening. The Hatters were excellent value throughout, although they’ve had 24 hours less than their opponents to prepare for this tie. Nevertheless, Nathan Jones’ side will play with passion and are unlikely to go down without a fight.
Although they’ve won two of their last four away matches, the visitors have slipped up at St. Andrews and Bramall Lane and could come up short here.
Tykes to continue upward momentum
Derby 2.26/5 v Barnsley 3.9; The Draw 3.3512/5
Barnsley have given themselves a fighting chance of survival this season and Poya Asbarghi’s side will view this contest as an opportunity to put pressure on the side’s above them.
The January additions of Amine Bassi and Domingos Quina have given them a much-needed spark whereas Carlton Morris’ return from injury has enabled them to be far more clinical in the final third.
Although Derby’s season isn’t over yet, the Rams’ momentum appears to have deserted them. Wayne Rooney’s side have been competitive throughout February. However, they’ve collected just six points from a possible 21 and their small squad may be a little stretched by the hectic fixture list.
Barnsley are playing with belief, and having recent beaten high-flying Middlesbrough, they will be full of confidence coming into this.
Tigers and Baggies to cancel one another out
Hull 3.65 v West Brom 2.226/5; The Draw 3.412/5
Hull had been trending in the wrong direction prior to Saturday’s much-needed victory over Peterborough. Although they remain the third lowest goalscorers in the division, the Tigers now appear to have a reasonably comfortably cushion and shouldn’t be overly concerned about being dragged into the relegation mire.
Although the brilliance of Keane Lewis-Potter has earned them plenty of points this season, the hosts lack a genuine goalscorer and they’ve drawn blanks in three of their last five. They are relatively solid at the back and have conceded just four times in their last five outings.
West Brom’s problems continue to mount up and Steve Bruce has yet to have a positive effect on the squad. They’ve failed to score in six of their last seven and have completely slipped out of the play-off picture. WBA have looked like a team of individuals lately and are completely bereft of confidence. This looks like a decent opportunity to rescue their season, however, their chronic lack of firepower could count against them.
Cherries to edge past stubborn hosts
Preston 3.55 v Bournemouth 2.285/4; The Draw 3.412/5
Bournemouth are on a decent run of form and Scott Parker’s men currently sit second in the Championship table. With a couple of games in hand on the majority of their rivals, the Cherries appear to be in the driving seat and will head to Lancashire full of confidence.
Admittedly, their recent victories haven’t been completely convincing and they’ve been helped by some questionable officiating and last-gasp individual brilliance. Nevertheless, they possess one of the deepest and most talented squads in the division and the travelling fans will be expecting to see their side return to the south coast with maximum points.
Under Ryan Lowe, Preston have been much tougher to beat. However, the Lilywhites have been stronger on the road in recent weeks. The former Plymouth boss hasn’t overseen a victory at Deepdale since his first game in charge on December 11 and, having recently slipped up her against struggling Reading, Deepdale hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for the hosts.
Hoops and Bluebirds to share the spoils
QPR 2.226/5 v Cardiff 3.711/4; The Draw 3.412/5
QPR have been playing without a recognised striker lately despite having both Andre Gray and Charlie Austin on the bench. As a result, the goals have dried up for Mark Warburton’s side and they’ve netted just three times in their last five outings. Admittedly, the West London outfit have been excellent at the back and the majority of the matches in 2022 have been relatively low-scoring affairs.
The hosts are incredibly tough to beat and they haven’t tasted defeat at the Kiyan Prince since the end of December. However, they’ve drawn three of their last five matches and were incredibly lucky to beat Blackpool a fortnight ago.
Cardiff continued their superb start to 2022 with a 1-0 victory over Derby in midweek. Although they created very little in the first half, Steve Morison’s tactical tweaks made the difference and the former striker has been rewarded with a new contract. The Bluebirds are far better at home, although they’ve only been narrowly edged out in their last two away games and could easily take something back down the M4 on Saturday.
Another entertaining afternoon at the Madjeski
Reading 3.052/1 v Millwall 2.546/4; The Draw 3.412/5
Reading have given themselves a realistic chance of survival this season and although the temporary appointment of Paul Ince has been questioned by the majority of fans and pundits, it may have given the Royals enough of a lift to avoid the drop. Despite the result, they performed admirably against Blackpool last weekend and looked threatening every time they ventured into the final third.
Since their stalemate against Peterborough, they’ve scored six times and the return of Lucas Joao and John Swift gives them a significant advantage over the majority of their relegation rivals. They’ve also scored seven times across their last three matches at this venue, despite losing two of those games.
Millwall remain in play-off contention and the majority of the mid-season criticism aimed at Gary Rowett has dissipated. They’ve scored seven times across their last four matches and should be able to find a way past Reading’s creaky defence. Although their matches tend to be fairly low-scoring, they may be dragged into an entertaining affair by their gung-ho hosts.
BTTS in the Potteries
Stoke 1.981/1 v Blackpool 4.57/2; The Draw 3.412/5
Stoke have slowly drifted out of the play-off contention and find themselves hopelessly mid-table. Michael O’Neill’s side have looked impressive going forward, however, they’ve looked poor at the back and they are yet to find the best defensive partnership.
The hosts have won just three times since November with two of those victories coming away from home. O’Neill’s side were also beaten by Crystal Palace in the FA Cup in midweek, although the likes of Lewis Baker and Jaden Philogene-Bodace will come back into the squad after missing out in midweek.
Blackpool were second best against Reading last weekend. However, they took their chances and looked decisive in the final third. The Seasiders have plenty of firepower and their victory against Reading will have given them plenty of confidence heading into this fixture.
The Fylde Coast club have netted in each of their last five away games, although they haven’t kept a clean sheet on the road since the end of October.
Points shared in South Wales
Swansea 2.767/4 v Coventry 2.8615/8; The Draw 3.412/5
Swansea have gone from the sublime to the ridiculous this season and Russell Martin will be looking for a little more consistency from his side next year. Without doubt, this squad has the capacity and quality to challenge for a top six spot and their performance on Monday night showcased their best attributes. However, it’s sometimes hard to know which Swansea are going to turn up.
Coventry appear to have turned a corner and they will be keen to build on their recent upturn in form. The Sky Blues are still within sight of the play-offs and have won three of their last five. Mark Robins’ side are hard to beat and having had seven days to prepare for this fixture, they are likely to be competitive throughout the 90 minutes.
Source: Betfair UK English Championship
