Birmingham vs Wycombe Prediction: Blues to take a giant step closer to promotion

Birmingham City are starting to pull away at the the top of League 1 and they have an excellent opportunity to extend the gap when they welcome second-placed Wycombe Wanderers to St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park on Saturday (12:30, Sky Sports+). They are currently nine points clear of the Chairboys with a game in hand.

Wycombe are unbeaten in their last seven league appearances but four of them have been draws. Below I preview this gargantuan clash from the third tier, so check out my Birmingham vs Wycombe predictions, supported by the latest match odds and team news.

Birmingham vs Wycombe Odds

Having won their previous five home matches in the league, Birmingham are 8/11 to claim the victory on Saturday. If you are after better value, backing the Blues to win to nil at 8/5 (which has an implied probability of 38.5%) looks enticing as they have kept a clean sheet in 11 of their last 13 league triumphs.

Wycombe have drawn four of their past six matches in the third tier and the stalemate is available at 13/5. The Chairboys have won just one of their last four away trips in League 1, and they are 4/1 to end the hosts' unbeaten record at St Andrew's.

Both teams to score was a successful bet in all four of those away matches, though, and it did also strike when the two teams met back in August, which Birmingham won 3-2. BTTS can be backed at 1/1 on this occasion, which is most likely due to the Blues having kept four clean sheets in a row.

Football Odds

Team News

Birmingham boss Chris Davies is having to deal with several injuries amongst his squad at a crucial stage of the season. Lee Buchanan's season was ended in December with a severe knee issue that required surgery.

He has since been joined by Scott Wright, who picked up a knee problem of his own at Reading last Saturday. The Scotsman has since been ruled out for the rest of the campaign, leaving the league leaders light in wide areas.

Lyndon Dykes was taken off with a calf injury in that same game and he is not expected back until late April, and he will miss Birmingham's Vertu Trophy final at Wembley, having scored the goal that sent them there against Bradford City.

Keshi Anderson was missing in Tuesday's 2-0 win over Leyton Orient after he was "tightened up" at Reading. He will be closely monitored ahead of the weekend but for now he is considered a doubt.

This leaves Emil Hansson as Birmingham's only recognised winger who is fit and available. He made his return after almost two months out against the O's, with the versatile Taylor Gardner-Hickman occupying the left attacking spot for most of the game.

Record signing Jay Stansfield is still nursing some bruising he picked up against Bradford, and is set to be given as much time to recover so that he can play his part in the final run-in. Marc Leonard is also recovering from a deep cut sustained against Newcastle United in the FA Cup.

For Wycombe, top scorer Richard Kone is still not deemed fully fit, having made a 23-minute cameo against Wigan last time out following a three-game spell out of the squad. Kieran Sadlier is the other player in the medical bay for the visitors.

Daniel Udoh will be primed to lead the line again for the Chairboys as Kone is unavailable to start in B9.

Birmingham and both teams to score @ 3/1

I tipped this selection against Leyton Orient on Tuesday to no avail, but I believe this was heavily impacted by the 12-minute red card the O's picked up in the game. They had caused Birmingham problems before the sending off but once it happened, the Blues took control.

Birmingham have now kept 20 clean sheets across all competitions this season, and as much as the back line has been brilliant, I think Wycombe can breach it on Saturday.

As mentioned earlier, BTTS was a winning selection in each of the Chairboys' last four away contests in League 1, so I do see this trend continuing in the West Midlands. The gravity of the game will bring its pressures for both sides, as they know how big three points can be at this stage of the campaign.

Ultimately, Birmingham are too strong a force when playing at home, and more often than not they have found a way to win. That's why I think backing the Blues to win and BTTS could be a sensible selection here.

Alfie May anytime goalscorer @ 7/5

You may think I'm recycling my Leyton Orient preview as this is the other tip I gave for that game, but I remain confident in this selection.

I'm disappointed it didn't land in midweek because May had plenty of chances to score but this is where a goal drought can affect a player.

He's set for another start because of the injuries to Stansfield and Dykes, and this is the kind of game where he can stand up and deliver. This game can help Birmingham take a giant step closer towards promotion back to the Championship and May can play a key role.

They would move 12 points clear at the summit with a win and would still have a game in hand. Wycombe have done extremely well this season and automatic promotion now feels more than realistic for them. The league title, not so much.

May scored the equaliser for the Blues at Wycombe when they faced each other back in August. Last season's Golden Boot winner is currently 11 games without a goal, and the sooner he breaks it, the better.

Tuesday showed he's getting closer to ending the streak and I will continue to put my faith in him.

Offers

Acca Flex: Place a pre-match 5+ leg Football accumulator and get a CASH bonus up to 100% if all of your selections win or your money back as CASH if one leg lets you down

You can read all our latest Football Betting Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights content hub.