Sheffield Wednesday vs Birmingham City tips and predictions: Hosts to seize survival lifeline
Danny Rohl
Sheffield Wednesday will play host to Birmingham City in a must-win match in the Championship relegation fight at Hillsborough on Friday night (2000 GMT).
Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham City meet at Hillsborough on Friday night in the definition of a Championship relegation six-pointer.
On average, 44 points has ensured survival. However, Blackburn Rovers were relegated with 51 points in 2017 and the current pace suggests it could be a similar story.
Huddersfield, Stoke and Birmingham are picking up more than a point per game which could mean the Owls have 16 games to double their points tally.
The Blues are currently four points above the drop zone with a game in hand but a defeat here could open the door for QPR to pull them within one point.
Juninho Bacuna’s double when the sides met in November accounts for a sizeable part of the nine-point gap between these sides.
The visitors have won two in 12 since then and while they were both on the road, they’ve saved their best for home.
To be fair, their best was under John Eustace. After picking up 18 points from their first 11 matches, City have accrued 14 in 18 since.
Sheffield Wednesday’s plight has been largely self-inflicted but Danny Rohl’s arrival seemed to have stopped the rot, albeit temporarily.
Recommended Offers
£30 Matched Free Bet if your first Acca loses + 100 Free Spins
Get up to £50 Welcome Bonus
Get £10 in Free Bets
They’ve won 16 of their 23 points in their previous 17 matches but even at that rate, they’ll struggle to survive. Saturday’s hammering at Huddersfield further complicated matters.
The best supporting trend for either side here is the fact Wednesday are unbeaten in seven of 10 at home and off the back of a dire performance, they should be well motivated.
The visitors have made a reasonable start to life under Tony Mowbray but this will be a substantially bigger test of character than their previous outings.
Our gut feeling says Hillsborough will be up for this and we can’t see past Wednesday claiming at least a point, but it’s a risky bet.
Instead, sprinkle some money on Wednesday -0.25 Asian handicap and consider over 2.5 goals, which has been a common theme for both sides recently.
Planet Sport Bet Sheff Wed v Birmingham offer: Bet £20, get a £5 free Bet, if at least ONE 1st half goal
Key stats
- Sheffield Wednesday are unbeaten in seven of 10 at Hillsborough
- Both teams have conceded at least one goal in 80% of their matches
- There have been over 2.5 goals in six of eight Birmingham matches
- There have been over 2.5 goals in seven of 10 Sheffield Wednesday matches
