Birmingham vs Bolton Prediction: Willumsson is hungry for goals

Birmingham City are back in action on Tuesday night (19:45, Sky Sports+) in League 1 as they welcome Bolton Wanderers to St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park. The Blues bounced back from their defeat at Charlton Athletic before the international break with a convincing 3-1 win at Lincoln City on Saturday, after going behind in the opening minute of the match.

Bolton were 2-1 winners at home to strugglers Burton Albion in their last outing, and they are unbeaten in their previous five matches in the third tier. Read on for my Birmingham vs Bolton prediction, accompanied by the latest match odds and team news.

Birmingham vs Bolton Odds

Birmingham are 9/10, or a 52.6% chance, to take the three points here. Bolton are valued at 3/1 to win this match, giving them an implied probability of 25%. The draw is available at 13/5 (27.8%).

Over 2.5 goals can be backed at 8/11 and both teams to score is marketed at 4/6.

Birmingham striker Alfie May has scored five goals in the league this season and he is 9/2 to open the scoring on Tuesday, or 7/5 to score anytime.

Keshi Anderson netted a brace for the Blues at the weekend to take his tally for the campaign up to three. He is priced at 3/1 to find the back of the net at any stage during this contest.

Bolton's Dion Charles has five goals to his name this season, too, and he can be backed at 9/4 to score anytime.

Football Odds

Team News

Birmingham boss Chris Davies remains without the services of captain Krystian Bielik, Lee Buchanan and Luke Harris due to injury. Record signing Jay Stansfield missed the trip to Lincoln due to a knock he picked up on international duty with England Under-21s, so he is a doubt to feature in this one.

Scott Wright was also absent at the weekend, with Davies revealing that he picked up an issue the day before the match, so he too is unlikely to be involved against the Trotters. Fans were hoping to see the Scotsman pick up his first league start against the Imps following his two goals and an assist against Shrewsbury Town in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy earlier this month.

In Bielik's absence, Ben Davies looks set to keep his place in the heart of defence alongside Christoph Klarer, while Dion Sanderson will be waiting in the wings for an opportunity.

Davies isn't expected to make too many changes for this match but there is a conversation to be had around who starts on the left wing. Emil Hansson has been favoured mostly throughout the campaign, but young Ayumu Yokoyama adds a much more exciting dynamic than the rest of Blues' wingers.

The only thing holding the Japanese star back at the moment is the language barrier, as he is having to be supported by compatriot Tomoki Iwata. However, Hansson was taken off with a knock at the weekend, so Yokoyama might get a chance to start this one.

Taylor Gardner-Hickman has been excelling at right-back, but with Ethan Laird returning from injury, the former faces a battle to keep his place. Laird got a good 30-minute run out on Saturday and set his team away for the third goal that sealed the three points.

Marc Leonard will be itching for a start and could be handed one here in place of Iwata or Paik Seung-ho, with Davies having one eye on a trip to Mansfield Town at the weekend.

For Bolton, Ian Evatt is unable to call upon Chris Forino, Eoin Toal and Carlos Mendes Gomes due to injury, while the boss will continue to serve his touchline ban at St Andrew's.

Gethin Jones is supposedly touch-and-go to be involved on Tuesday night, after spending a period on the sidelines. Goalkeeper Luke Southwood looks set to continue in goal for a third consecutive match in place of Nathan Baxter.

Birmingham and both teams to score @ 5/2

Despite Birmingham's dominant possession stats and low xG against (0.95) per 90, they have still conceded 10 goals after 10 games, keeping just two clean sheets so far.

In five of their eight wins this term, they have conceded the first goal, with the latest coming against Lincoln last time out. A constant theme throughout the season is that the Blues start their games slowly, but once they get going, their opponents can't get near them.

As a promotion rival and last year's play-off finalists, Bolton should provide the hosts with a tough test, like many teams before them. However, Birmingham always seem to come through them without any major concerns, apart from Charlton, which is their only defeat to date.

The Trotters started the campaign slowly but they have seen an upturn in their recent results. They are heading to the toughest place they can go in League 1 on Tuesday, though, and Birmingham are yet to taste defeat on home soil.

Bolton could potentially profit if they start on the front foot, but once the home side click into gear, I think they will once again prove to be too much for their opponent. I'm backing Birmingham to win and both teams to score, which has landed six times already in 2024/25.

Willum Willumsson anytime goalscorer @ 11/4

Many of Birmingham's 17 summer acquisitions have been impressive this season and this man is one of them. Willum Willumsson has shown to be an excellent technician with the ball despite his towering 6ft4in frame.

The Iceland international netted his third league goal of the campaign at Lincoln to turn the game on its head in the second half. It was a good team goal capped off by a brilliant finish from just outside the box to the bottom corner.

He's such a talented footballer, as shown by his deft flick on to Anderson for the third goal in that match. For a big man, he's a silky dribbler, and some of his weighted passes are sublime.

Willumsson has already scored once at home (against Peterborough United), and he was denied a stunning solo effort in the game that followed against Huddersfield Town, as his goal-bound effort was stopped by teammate May on the goal line, who somehow managed to head the ball over the crossbar.

Most games will see me tip May or Stansfield to score, but this man carries a huge threat himself and I believe he's worth backing here.

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