BIRMINGHAM CITY v WEST BROMWICH ALBION
Friday 14th September 2018 – Kickoff: 1945hrs
Football – England – Championship Betting Tips
Friday night football and domestic action makes a return following the international break, and my next pick features a west Midlands derby between Birmingham City and West Brom as the Championship provides betting tips this evening.
It’s been a frustrating start to the new Championship season for the hosts, Birmingham City, who have drawn four and lost twice in their first six matches of the season. Manager Garry Monk has stated on numerous occasions that his side have been a little unlucky in not gaining their first win of the season yet, especially against one of his former clubs, Swansea City where they dominated the game but just couldn’t make the breakthrough in a 0-0 draw.
Likewise, Blues were held to a 2-2 draw away at Nottingham Forest where they threw away a two-goal lead to end up with just a point.
The international break therefore came at a good time for Birmingham to re-group and perhaps work on more clinical finishing in the final third ahead of this local derby with West Brom.
Although Birmingham still remain unbeaten at St Andrews having drawn all three matches with draws against Norwich City 2-2 along with 0-0 stalemates with Swansea City and QPR, the fact remains that goals have been at a premium on home turf. 17 of their last 26 home matches have resulted in under 2.5 goals.
West Brom will make the short trip over to Birmingham for this important Friday night local derby with the visitors currently occupying 9th place in the Championship, but are just one point adrift of the top six ahead of this clash.
Amidst the backdrop of inevitable relegation from the Premier League at the end of last season, manager Darren Moore did a fantastic job of installing belief in his squad as the trap-door to the Championship beckoned, bu they almost pulled off the great escape, losing just once in their final six matches of the campaign and picking up wins over Manchester United, Newcastle United and Tottenham in the process.
Alas, it was too little too late for The Baggies as they just couldn’t turn around the previous disastrous tenures of Tony Pulis and the larger extent of Alan Pardew’s reign in time. However, West Brom have picked up wins over Norwich City, a 7-1 thumping of QPR and a 2-1 home win over Stoke City to date.
Honours have been even for West Brom on their travels in the Championship so far with amn away record of 1-1-1 5/5, while 2 of their 3 away matches have resulted in under 2.5 goals.
With this being a Friday night game immediately after the international break as well as a local derby, my betting tips suggest a tight and low-scoring affair at St Andrews this evening.
Pick: Under 2.5 @ 1.74 Marathonbet
