Cardiff v Bristol City Betting Preview – Championship 25th February 12.00pm
The Bluebirds are well back in their groove at the moment and they will be taking some great league form into this contest. They are second in the league heading into the weekend and their four-point advantage over third-placed Aston Villa means that they will stay there no matter what as they won’t close the gap on leaders Wolves either. They do, however, face a tricky challenge against a Bristol City side who are in the play off mix and who are pretty hungry to stay there as well, but their winning form has been deserting them recently.
Cardiff News and Form
The Bluebirds were looking like a spent force just back at the end of December when they lost four straight league games. But they have picked themselves up well since then and are now on a seven-match undefeated streak of form (W5 D2). They have won their last three league outings as well all of them without conceding and so Cardiff to win to nil at bet365 is at 12/5* (Betting Odds taken at 10:12 p.m. on February 23rd, 2018) has to be a decent proposition. Cardiff have been very strong on home soil in the Championship this season where they have posted a W11 D3 L2 record and they are on a three-match winning streak on home soil at the moment all with a clean sheet. The Bluebirds have earned five clean sheets in their last seven games home and away combined which is a superb return and four of their last five have gone under the 2.5 goal line. Six of Cardiff’s eleven home wins this season have actually been by a two-goal margin and a lot of that is down to their defence which has conceded at just 0.6 goals per game. Overall, the Bluebirds have taken a clean sheet in 56% of their home fixtures this season. They have scored 59% of their home goals after the half time break.
Bristol City News and Form
Bristol City have taken three draws on the bounce in the league now, which has just kept them in the play off zone heading into the weekend. But the concern for them, while they have been harder to beat recently, is that they are not winning games. There has been just the one league success for Bristol City in their last nine outings now. So that has been a poor output from them really but they are W1 D4 L1 in their last six. They have failed to win any of their last five though away from Ashton Gate (D3 L2) and that leaves them with an overall away record of W6 D7 L3 this season. The Robins have been level at half time in half of their road games, so looking at the half time draw at bet365 isn’t a bad option. 62% of the goals that they have shipped on the road have come in the second half of matches. They are without a clean sheet in two away games now and overall home and away don’t have one in any of their last four. Bobby Reid is their top scorer away from home having netted nine of his 14 league goals for the season on his travels. He netted in their last away game, a 2-2 draw at Leeds, but the Robins have failed to score in three of their last four away from home now.
Cardiff v Bristol City Head to Head
The Bluebirds suffered a 2-1 loss on their trip to Ashton Gate earlier this season and that snapped a three-match winning streak of form that they were on against the Robins. Each of the last three meetings have gone over 2.5 goals and have seen both teams score in the games. On home soil, Cardiff are unbeaten in their last ten games against the Robins, winning seven of those.
Cardiff v Bristol City Betting Odds*
Cardiff 21/20, Draw 5/2, Bristol City 3/1* (Betting Odds taken at 9:21 p.m. on February 23rd, 2018)
Cardiff v Bristol City Predictions
Back the Bluebirds to continue their good home form over the Robins by collecting three points in his fixture. This may be a tough duel with the Robins who are scrapping it out to just stay in the play off places at the moment, but with the Bluebirds in better form than Bristol City are, look for a home win by a one-goal margin looks good.
