Birmingham vs Preston
20th January 1900hrs
Football – England – Championship
Pick Preston to win
Bookmaker Paddy Power
Odds: 17/10 odds taken 2000 GMT, Wednesday 8 January
Birmingham eased a little bit of pressure off of themselves on the weekend by collecting a victory over Middlesbrough.
That snapped a poor run of form that they had been on, but will they be able to back it up at home against Preston in midweek?
Preston have suffered back to back league losses so it will be interesting to see what kind of challenge they produce at St Andrew’s.
Table of Contents
Birmingham Preview – A home win for the Blues?
After a run of six league games in which they had managed to return only one point, Birmingham collected a win on the weekend.
That was a 1-0 success at Middlesbrough, which eased a huge amount of pressure.
That is the only goal that Birmingham have scored in their last four league games, however.
The Blues still need to turn around some pretty poor home form when they face Preston at St Andrew’s on Wednesday.
The home win in the match outright for Championship football betting is at 7/4* (odds recorded 2000 GMT, Wednesday 8 January).
It is a four-match losing streak at home that Birmingham are currently on at the moment, failing to score in three of those four losses.
There has just been a clear lack of scoring threat from Birmingham this season in the second tier.
Home and away combined they have averaged 0.75 goals per fixture.
At home that drops down to a 0.67 goals per game average which is very poor.
As it stands at the moment in the Championship, only three teams have scored fewer league goals than the Blues have managed.
But can they build on that success from the weekend and collect a victory?
In last season’s corresponding league fixture, Birmingham lost 1-0 and that’s two defeats in their last three home games against North End.
In total it is an eight-match winless streak of home form that Birmingham are on, with no clean sheet in five.
Of the goals which they have conceded at home this season, 62% of them have gone against them in the second half of fixtures.
They may have a struggle on their hands in this one.
Preston Preview – Can Preston get back on track?
Preston have suffered back to back league losses, going down against Nottingham Forest and Bristol City in that sequence.
Just before that, they had strung together a three-match winning streak of form, and their away form hasn’t been bad this season.
Preston are W6 D1 L5 this season on their travels in the Championship.
In their four away games against teams who are currently beneath them in the table, Preston have won three of them.
Birmingham are currently situated five places beneath them.
In the match outright for football betting, it is Preston who are the 17/10 favourites* (odds recorded 2000 GMT, Wednesday 8 January).
They have averaged 1.7 goals per away game, enough perhaps you would think to trouble the Blues.
75% of Preston’s away games this season the league have gone above the 2.5 goal margin.
That is because they have conceded at an average rate of 1.7 goals per away game as well.
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Preston has scored 75% of their away goals this season in the second half of matches, which isn’t a bad trend to run with.
Looking at the overall stats for this Championship season, Preston have the third-worst defensive record of all teams.
But how much are the low-scoring Blues likely to hurt them? That’s the quandary in this one.
A Draw/Preston HT/FT option is worth perhaps considering for some longer odds at 5/1* (odds recorded 2000 GMT, Wednesday 8 January).
Only three teams have a better away record than Preston, so they should be in this.
Birmingham vs Preston Betting Advice
The away win actually has the most appeal in this one because it has been a decent road season from Preston.
So the 17/10 odds on a Preston win in the match outright of football betting looks to be a good place to start* (odds recorded 2000 GMT, Wednesday 8 January).
They have slipped up with their current form but look as if they have a chance to respond.
Key Facts – Birmingham vs Preston Betting Tip
- Birmingham are winless in 8 league home games
- Birmingham have lost their last four home fixtures
- Preston have the third-worst defensive record in the Championship
Birmingham’s form in their last seven games has been terrible. That scrappy away win at Boro on the weekend will have given them a lift.
But they are still without a win in eight home games and have lost their last four, scoring one goal in that sequence only.
A 1-goal winning margin for Preston at 3/1 piques some interest* (odds recorded 2000 GMT, Wednesday 8 January).
The best betting odds for Birmingham vs Preston
Birmingham to win: 7/4 at Bet365
Draw: 21/10 at Bet365
Preston to win: 17/10 at Bet365
