Coventry vs Birmingham prediction, lineups, bet builder tips and free bet offers
Coventry vs Birmingham prediction, lineups, bet builder tips and free bet offers for the televised Championship match on Friday night
Wayne Rooney’s Tom Brady-backed Blues take the short trip to the CBS Arena on Friday night in a hotly contested West Midlands derby in the EFL Championship.
The two sides currently sit just a point and two places apart, but it is Coventry that come into this one in the better form. After a six game winless run between 7th October and 11th November, the Sky Blues have finally breathed a semblance of life into their season with two wins in their last three.
Wayne Rooney’s appointment raised eyebrows, not least because of his predecessor’s work. John Eustace had the Blues in 5th before he was sacked on 9th October - they’d just beaten fellow West Midlanders West Brom 3-1 at St Andrew’s. In Rooney’s eight games in charge since then, they’ve picked up just one win.
An away trip to a momentum-building Coventry side is not what Rooney needs, but an ailing Birmingham is precisely what Mark Robins’ men do need.
Coventry vs Birmingham Prediction
Coventry splashed out in the summer, using the money from the Gyökeres and Hamer sales to attract players of calibre. The headline makers were £7.7m man, Haji Wright, and Everton’s Ellis Simms. Neither hit the ground running, but Wright has started to prove his worth.
But, it is veteran Matt Godden who has been leading Cov’s goal trail with six league strikes this season. In a league without a wealth of quality number 9’s, Godden's experience could prove to be the difference on Friday night, and the season as a whole.
Birmingham have an equally potent attacking unit, with Siriki Dembélé and Jay Stansfield contributing five apiece so far this term. But, the team has struggled to adapt to an entirely different style of play under Rooney. No doubt, that will come with time, so the question is - how damaging would a derby loss be?
Such is the bemusing nature of this league, both sides are roughly as close to the relegation zone as they are to the playoff spots. Every game really does count, and this one is Coventry’s to lose. 2-1 Cov (best price 15/2 on bet365).
Coventry vs Birmingham Lineups
How are both teams expected to line up on Friday? Here are the predicted lineups from WhoScored.com with all the relevant team news.
Coventry Predicted Lineup vs Birmingham
Collins; Ewijk, Thomas, Kitching, Bidwell; Sheaf, Eccles; Sakamoto, O'Hare, Wright; Godden
Birmingham Predicted Lineup vs Coventry
Ruddy; Drameh, Sanderson, Aiwu, Buchanan; James, Bielik; Miyoshi, Bacuna, Dembele; Stansfield
Coventry vs Birmingham Team News
At least two changes are expected from the home side with Tatsuhiro Sakamoto and Matt Godden both set to return.
Fabio Tavares and Kasey Palmer are both confirmed absentees for Coventry.
Wayne Rooney could make two changes to the side that faced Rotherham last Saturday with Cody Drameh and Jordan James both returning to the starting XI.
The former of those recalls will be an enforced one after Ethan Laird suffered an injury during last weekend's outing.
Coventry vs Birmingham Bet Builder Tips
Haji Wright to Score Anytime
Coventry Win
Coventry to Win by 1 Goal
Two well matched teams provides fewer clear build options, but the bookies have Coventry down as clear favourites to win this one given Birmingham’s dismal form.
Haji Wright to Score Anytime adds another 13/8 and, while the Blues are showing some improvement on the pitch, you can boost your odds with Coventry to Win by 1 Goal.
Luke Lonergan’s Coventry vs Birmingham Bet Builder can be backed @ 10/3 on bet365.
Coventry vs Birmingham Free Bets
You can bet £10 and get £60 in bonuses for Coventry vs Birmingham with the William Hill welcome bonus.
William Hill Welcome Offer: Bet £10 and Get £60 in Bonuses
Step One: or on the claim button below to ensure you qualify for the new customer William Hill welcome bonus
Step Two: Register for your William Hill account using the promotional code ‘T60’
Step Three: Once registered opt-in via the ‘Vegas’ tab on the William Hill site
Step Four: Deposit £10 into your new account, and receive £20 to use on selected Vegas games. There is a wagering requirement of 30 x £20 with this bonus.
Step Five: Place a £10 bet on any Premier League game this week (min odds 1/2)
Step Six: Receive £40 in Free Bets to use on ANY sportsbook market in addition to your initial £20 Vegas bonus.
Gamble responsibly
Reach plc is committed to promoting safer gambling. All of our content and recommended bets are advised to those aged 18 or over. Odds are subject to change too.
We strongly encourage our readers to only ever bet what they can afford to lose. For more information, please call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or visit begambleaware.org.
