Football Bet of the Day: 6/1 shot for Birmingham to wrap up the season in style

League 1 wraps up this weekend and relegated Cambridge United must bow out against the record-breaking champions Birmingham City on Saturday (15:00, Sky Sports+). The Blues set an EFL and joint-world record total of 108 points at Blackpool on Wednesday, but they can put themselves in a league of their own with a win at the Abbey Stadium.

They are also on track to claim the most victories in a single EFL season currently shared between themselves and Doncaster Rovers (1946/47) with 33. It's from this clash that my Football Bet of the Day comes, and it is priced at an attractive 6/1.

Birmingham have been remarkable this season. Yes, they spent money unheard of at this level, but it was never just to climb their way out of League 1, it was to build a team capable of stepping up to the Championship without requiring major surgery in the future.

They have signed some players who will have no issues in making the jump to the second tier, notably defenders Christoph Klarer and Alex Cochrane, as well as midfielder Tomoki Iwata.

As a Blues fan it was pleasing to see boss Chris Davies honoured with the Manager of the Season award by the EFL because many neutrals are trying to diminish his accomplishment. He may have had more resources than his peers in the third tier but he also had to overcome 17 player exits, the hangover of a relegation while changing the football and the mentality across the football club - all within 10 months and his first role in management.

Football Odds

Davies has done a phenomenal job, leading the Blues to an unbeaten campaign at St Andrew's, conceding just 11 goals in the process. His side have accomplished the highest-ever points tally by a team ever seen in English football still with a game left to play - it's incredible for someone so inexperienced as a manager.

Their current total of 108 is currently shared with Red Star Belgrade (2021/22) and Verdy Kawasaki (1994/95) in the world record books, but they can put themselves in a league of their own with a victory at Cambridge on Saturday afternoon to wrap up this campaign in style.

I've put together a three-legged Bet Builder for their trip to Cambridge, starting with over 2.5 Birmingham goals. Some people have tried to tear the champions down for not blowing teams away on a regular basis, but this is simply not the way they operate.

They often go ahead and just control games to frustrate their opponents, which then sometimes leads to more goals later on in matches. However, there have been a few times where the attackers have been switched on and delivered several goals for the Blues.

In League 1 this season, Birmingham have scored three or more goals in 20% (9/45) of their fixtures, including against Saturday's hosts in a 4-0 drubbing at St Andrew's back in February. It was one of the most comfortable matches the Blues have experienced this term and I predict it will be similar this time around at the Abbey.

Cambridge United vs Birmingham City Odds

A player who I fancy to grab one of these goals is Birmingham's poster boy, Jay Stansfield, who they splashed around £10m on in the summer in a League 1 transfer record. The attacker has 24 goals in all competitions this season, with 19 coming in 36 League 1 appearances.

Stansfield was on the scoresheet in the reverse fixture at St Andrew's and he is three games without a goal coming into the weekend, and you feel that he will want to end the campaign having reached the 20-mark.

He is also in with a chance of claiming the Golden Boot but it may be a tall order as he is two adrift of Leyton Orient's Charlie Kelman who's on 21. However, Cambridge do have one of the worst defensive records in the division (71 goals conceded), so Stansfield could be in line to profit in Cambridgeshire.

The Bet Builder is rounded off with BTTS (both teams to score) - No. This has been a winning selection in 51% (23/45) of Birmingham's matches this campaign, highlighting their defensive solidity.

The Blues have kept 22 clean sheets this season and goalkeeper Ryan Allsop already has the Golden Glove award in the bag, having kept 21 of them. He and his team come into Saturday off the back of three consecutive shutouts, and I'm backing them to record another against a side that didn't trouble them when they met earlier in the season.

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