England - Premier League: Wolves vs BirminghamThe teams enter this local derby in different mood and we are yet to see if that will give the upper hand to one of the sides. Wolves are sitting in the relegation zone after two straight defeats, whereas Birmingham are in much better position after beating Fulham last weekend.
Seven games without a win
The good start of the season was followed by the big dip in from that saw Wolves pick up just three points from last seven games and no wonder they are now part of the bottom three. Mick McCarthy’s side played a couple of good games but it is evident they lack some cutting edge to turn those draws into much needed wins. Next two games are extremely important for Wolverhampton since they host fellow strugglers Birmingham and Bolton, but if they fail to win any of them the team will be in big problems. Maybe this is the right time to back Wolves to go down at odds of 2.10 offered by Ladbrokes.
Stephen Ward and Matt Hill have returned into action playing for the reserves and they are expected to be in contention for the Brimingham match. However, Chris Iwelumo, David Jones and Matt Murray remain sidelined, while Ronald Zubar remains an injury doubt. Kevin Doyle is expected to return to the starting line-up to partner Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and it is these two players that will cause the visitors the biggest problems. Boylesports pays 2.88 on Doyle to score, while the odds are the same on Ebanks-Blake as well.
The Blues getting away from the dangerous zone
The win over Fulham helped Birmingham return to where they belong and their league position is finally to match with the good performances of late. Alex McLeish’s side have proven their potential on so many occasions and if the Blues win this local derby, they won’t have to worry about survival for quite a while. It is interesting the Blues scored in all but one away game this season and we therefore see a good value in backing Birmingham to score at 1.40 offered by Boylesports.
With no new injuries to report, Alex McLeish is set to field the same team that started the Fulham game, although Damien Johnson and Stuart Parnaby are closing in on their return from injuries. On the other hand, O’Connor, Tainio, Murphy and Taylor remain long-term absentees. Brimingham will be looking to win this match but they are aware even one point would leave them in a very good position and we don’t think they will risk too much. Except for strikers Jerome and Benitez, all other players will have plenty of defensive tasks.
Betting verdict
This should be a scrappy affair between relegation strugglers and local rivals, thus the fans cannot be guaranteed nice football or plenty of goals. Wolves want a win but will play patiently, while Birmingham don’t have to rush into anything as they are five points clear of local rivals. Therefore, our advice is to bet on under 2.5 goals.
Looking for livestream! Here it is! Our tip: Bet 5 on Under 2.5 goals
Odds -154 at
Bookmaker: BetCRIS
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