Swansea City v Birmingham City
Tuesday 29th January 1945hrs
Football – England – Championship
Pick: Swansea
Bookmaker: Unibet
Odds: 15/13 (odds taken 20.15 GMT, Monday 28th January)
One point separates these two clubs in the table and both will be desperate for the win as they look to close on the playoff places. Continue reading for a match preview of Swansea v Birmingham with a selected best betting tip.
Championship Betting at Unibet
Swansea City Preview
Swansea have found things tough going at times on their return to the Championship but there are signs that they are getting to grips with it and may fancy a run at the playoffs. Considering that towards the end of 2018 was even unthinkable, but a strong start to this calendar year in both league and cup will have the Swans support dreaming of an immediate return to the top flight. Saturday’s 4-1 win over Gillingham secured a place in the fifth round of the FA Cup and continued their unbeaten start to 2019. They go into Tuesday’s game against Birmingham having won two and drawn two of their previous four league games. It’s their longest period without defeat in the Championship since the opening month of the season and has pushed them to within four points of the playoffs. A win on Wednesday would put them within touching distance of Derby anMiddlesbrough in sixth and fifth respectively, and realistically that’s the two positions that Potter and his men will be challenging for.
Key-Facts – Swansea City v Birmingham City
- A win for either of these teams would put them within touching distance of the top six
- Swansea are unbeaten in all competitions in 2018 whilst Birmingham are searching for their first win this year
- It was goalless when the teams clashed back in August
Birmingham City Preview
Birmingham are the reverse of Swansea in some respects so far this season. Gary Monk’s men were very consistent in the first half of this campaign, losing only five of their first 24 league games. It had them challenging for the top six on a consistent basis but since winning 2-0 at home to Stoke on Boxing Day things have started to slip. It’s now four games without a win, losing two and drawing two. Both defeats have came against teams in the top five, however, so it would be foolish to get too despondent, but Monk knows how dangerous it is to get into a rut in this division and will be looking to get that elusive win on the board soon as he attempts to reset his team’s season. The manager would have welcomed the opportunity to work with his players for a longer period than usual with no game at the weekend and will be looking for the payoff of that in Tuesday’s game.
Swansea City v Birmingham City Betting Advice
There’s been virtually nothing to separate these two teams over the course of 28 league games this season with that solitary point between them in favour of Swansea. And that was exactly the case back in August as Birmingham and Swansea played out a rather dour goalless draw at St Andrews. The return fixture has something extra on it as well with Monk returning to the ground he has so many happy memories of both as a player and a manager, and he’s sure to get a warm reception.
Although both have their sights set on a top six finish, this remains a clash of two mid-table teams and their records emphasise that. There’s no doubt that the home team are in the better form at the moment and this league is often about that run of half a dozen games which builds belief and confidence, with the reverse of that being Birmingham’s current run which can be deflating. With momentum on their side and buoyed by their progression in the FA Cup, take Swansea to record their fourth home win in their last six league games.
