Birmingham vs Ipswich Prediction: Blockbuster at St. Andrew’s

The titans of Ipswich take on the giants of Birmingham - making them both seem normal sized. I can imagine this is how David Mitchell would tee up Friday's (20:00 BST, Sky Sports Main Event) blockbuster clash between Birmingham City and Ipswich Town to christen the new Championship campaign.

You have the team just promoted from League 1 looking to replicate what Ipswich accomplished two years ago (back-to-back promotions), while the Tractor Boys are freshly relegated from the Premier League. Below you will find my Birmingham vs Ipswich predictions, accompanied by the latest team news and match odds.

Team News

Birmingham have been busy in the transfer window this summer with 11 signings already (two being loans that turned permanent in Taylor Gardner-Hickman and Alfons Sampsted).

Their additions have been eye-catching, notably Tommy Doyle and Eiran Cashin, who joined on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brighton & Hove Albion respectively. The Blues fought off interest to land Doyle's services, having excelled at this level with Sheffield United a couple of years ago.

Football Odds

Academy graduate Demarai Gray is back at St. Andrew's with his club in a much stronger position than when he left, and he has some unfinished business in royal blue. Former Celtic front man Kyogo Furuhashi is one of two Japanese additions this summer, alongside Kanya Fujimoto and manager Chris Davies is excited to see what the pair can showcase this season.

The latter is set to miss the first few weeks of the campaign as he is behind the rest of the squad fitness-wise, and he has so far been featuring for the Under-21s.

The big story this week surrounding these two clubs surrounds Chuba Akpom, the 2022/23 Championship Player of the Season. Birmingham fended off interest from Middlesbrough to strike a season-long loan deal with Ajax that included an obligation to buy if they achieved promotion.

Ipswich then came in to hijack the deal with Akpom on his way to Birmingham for his medical. His head was turned like he was on Love Island and then made his way to Suffolk. Birmingham continued to fight for the player but on Wednesday it was reported that they had given up their pursuit.

Akpom is yet to be announced by Ipswich at the time of writing, so it looks like Friday's clash will be lacking that extra bit of spice.

The Tractor Boys were subjected to a £35m bid for star attacker Omari Hutchinson from Nottingham Forest, which they rejected. Ipswich are desperate to keep hold of him this summer and he could be set to feature in B9.

The visitors have also made moves in the transfer market, before the Akpom saga, with Dutch midfielder Azor Matusiwa joining from Rennes, while Ashley Young (free) and Cedric Kipre (loan from Reims) have also signed up to Kieran McKenna's side.

Young could be in line to make his debut for the club at St. Andrew's where he is sure to get a hostile reception given his Aston Villa past, as the result of Conor Townsend suffering an ACL injury in pre-season.

Sammie Szmodics scored 27 league goals in his last full campaign in the Championship so McKenna will be hoping for a big year from the attacking midfielder.

Birmingham vs Ipswich Odds

Birmingham went unbeaten at home in League 1 last term, winning 82% (19/23) of their games. They are 6/4, which has an implied probability of 40%, to come out on top on Friday.

The two teams played out a 2-2 draw in this fixture two seasons ago and the stalemate is on offer at 23/10. Both teams to score is available at 8/11, too.

Ipswich are 2/1 to come away with the three points, having won 52% (12/23) of their away trips the last time they were in the second tier.

Draw and both teams to score @ 16/5

This is a cracker of a fixture to start the season with in front of the cameras and both these promotion hopefuls will look to make a statement on Friday. Birmingham are coming up with plenty of momentum, a record-breaking 111 points and an unbeaten campaign at home, while Ipswich were flying the last time they were in this division.

They both have very exciting managers in Davies and McKenna and this looks set to be a gripping tactical battle. It's early days, so we're not expecting to see the best from the two sides on matchday one, but with the quality at their disposal, entertainment should be guaranteed.

It's going to be a tough contest for both clubs. Birmingham are facing their biggest test under Davies in a team who were in the Premier League last season, and Ipswich are up against a club who have developed a winning culture and made their home a fortress.

As a Blues fan, I'm already feeling nervous for this game, despite there being 45 left to play, but I'd shake your hand for a draw right now, and that is what my gut feeling has been since fixture release day.

This was the outcome the last time they played here, which did deliver entertainment with two goals apiece, with Marcus Harness' late brace salvaging a draw for the Tractor Boys. I wouldn't be surprised to see the same scoreline play out this time around, which is marketed at 12/1.

I'm playing it safe, though, and going with the generic draw and both teams to score for my selection.

Jay Stansfield anytime goalscorer @ 15/8

Birmingham forward Jay Stansfield became the Blues' record signing last summer in a deal worth up to £15m from Fulham, which also smashed the League 1 transfer record.

It put a target on his back in the third tier but he still managed to contribute 19 goals in 37 league games. He received criticism because only 10 of them came from open play, but some people seem to forget he scored 12 for Birmingham in the Championship the season before in a much weaker team. I think he'll be alright being back at this level.

Stansfield is very much the poster boy of this Blues project and there is a special connection between him and the fanbase. He will be pumped up for this game as he bids to silence his critics, and he already boasts a goal against Friday's opponents from this fixture two years ago.

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