BIRMINGHAM CITY vs Middlesbrough
Blues – 7/4
Draw – 2/1
Brentford – 7/4
Championship football returns this weekend as Birmingham City welcome Middlesbrough to St Andrew’s on Saturday afternoon. Garry Monk’s side are currently eighth in the table, four points behind the playoff spots and a win here could be pivotal.
The Blues were held to a goalless draw by Brentford in their last home fixture but plenty of punters will be backing Birmingham to bounce back here. 7/4 for Monk’s men to claim yet another victory at St Andrew’s is worth considering.
Birmingham’s home form under Monk has been solid on the whole. The Blues have lost just one of their last 18 Championship matches at St Andrew’s and fans will be quietly confident ahead of this encounter.
With that record in mind, 888sport users may consider the 4/9 for Birmingham to win OR draw this weekend. The Blues are heading in the right direction under Monk and another positive result here could give Birmingham a boost in the playoff race.
Meanwhile, Boro are still fifth despite winning just two of their previous five league games. Tony Pulis will be asking for more of the same from the visitors after their 5-0 victory over Peterborough in the FA Cup.
Middlesbrough snatched a 1-0 victory in this fixture last season and visiting fans may fancy the 7/4 for an away win. Stopping Birmingham from scoring will be difficult though – the Blues have scored in nine home games so far this campaign.
Once again, Che Adams and Lukas Jutkiewicz will lead the line for BCFC this weekend. Both players have enjoyed solid campaigns thus far and Birmingham fans will expect big things in this clash. 49/20 for an anytime goal is a solid price for both Blues stars.
This is a hard one to call. Birmingham have been excellent at home this season and it would be foolish to ignore that. Opting for the Blues to avoid defeat is the way to go here – it isn’t an exciting tip but it is certainly worth sticking in your 888sport Championship accumulator.
Prediction: Birmingham 2-1 Middlesbrough (19/2)
Bet of the day: Blues to win OR draw (4/9)
Outside punt: Lukas Jutkiewicz to score (49/20)
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
