Burnley vs Sheffield Wednesday Prediction: Clarets set for 12th straight shut-out

Nil. Zero. Nothing. Diddly squat. Whatever terminology you can think of, Burnley fans have used it this season. And on Friday at Turf Moor they look to extend an incredible run of clean sheets in the Championship against Sheffield Wednesday (20:00 GMT, Sky Sports Football).

The Clarets haven’t conceded a goal in 1000 minutes since December, with 11 blanks on the trot since then. So don’t expect ‘both teams to score’ to feature in my Burnley vs Sheffield Wednesday predictions, along with full preview, team news and match odds.

Team News

Burnley manager Scott Parker says his side are in a “good place” injury-wise, with Luca Koleosho due to return to the squad after four weeks out with a knock picked up in training.

Josh Brownhill is likely to start after returning as a sub at Preston North End last Saturday following an injury picked up in the 0-0 bore draw with Leeds United at the end of January.

Marcus Edwards has yet to make a start since arriving in the winter transfer window but could be included in the XI for the first time, while Aaron Ramsey is still out after a year-long battle to return from a serious knee problem.

“He’s progressing well, he had a tiny little setback last week, but he’s back with us and will train with us tomorrow,” Parker told his pre-match press conference of Ramsey. “He’s moving in the right direction and we’re really pleased with his progression. Obviously, it was a big injury.”

Wednesday boss Danny Rohl has plenty to consider, with his back-line decimated still.

Di’Shon Bernard had knee surgery last week so is out for the rest of the season, and while Dominic Iorfa has had his first week of full training since a hamstring injury, Friday will come too soon for him. Akin Famewo is also stepping up his recovery but could take another three weeks to be in contention following a thigh tear.

Further up the pitch, Rohl has explained that Anthony Musaba’s muscle injury is still a concern despite receiving injections and the Dutchman will remain unavailable for at least a fortnight. There’s good news though, in that captain Barry Bannan had no reaction to returning against Coventry City last Saturday after two weeks out with a left leg issue which will need managing for the remainder of the season.

Ibrahim Cissoko will be a consideration for his first start since arriving in January, while full-back Ryo Hatsuse is nearing his Wednesday debut after joining from Vissel Kobe earlier this month.

Burnley vs Sheffield Wednesday Odds

Sitting third in the league, with just two defeats all season, Burnley are the obvious favourites for Friday’s game. Scott Parker’s side are 4/5 with Betfred to win, at an implied probability of 55.6%.

The draw, which has been a heavy feature of the Clarets’ campaign so far, is 12/5, which screams value given that six of their last 10 league games have ended tied. The 29.4% implied chance is generous against that 60% outcome rate of late.

Wednesday are priced at 4/1 for the win, which reflects the reality that no away side has triumphed at Turf Moor this season. The one thing in the Owls’ favour is that only Burnley and Sheffield United have won more matches on their travels than Wednesday’s seven in 2024/25.

Burnley to win to nil @ 6/4

As a Wednesdayite, something tells me this is going to be a 3-1 away win. It’s the tightest defence in Championship history, and it’s a typically atypical Sheffield Wednesday. Ike Ugbo is bound to end his 30-game scoring drought at this level, isn’t he? Stick him down for two goals in an away win.

Except that’s not going to happen, is it? The Clarets have not exactly been convincing, with too many 0-0s meaning they are left chasing the top two in the league. But they just don’t concede goals, and Wednesday do.

If the Owls could be trusted to hold out for long enough, they might have half a chance. But they are well known for their ability to waste good positions in games and concede first. I had them down for shipping the opening goal last week against Coventry City and that one duly came in.

And that ought to be the case again at Turf Moor, with the quality available to Parker in the final third surely over-matching Wednesday’s threadbare defence.

The visitors have the worst defence outside the bottom eight, and they just cannot be trusted to keep a clean sheet against this level of opposition. Burnley, on the other hand, do nothing but chalk up zeroes at the back.

Football Odds

Josh Brownhill anytime goalscorer @ 13/5

It says a little about Burnley’s lack of firepower in the system Parker has employed, but also a lot for Josh Brownhill’s performance levels in the opposition half, that the Clarets captain is the club’s joint-highest scorer in the Championship at this stage.

He netted the crucial second goal in the 2-0 win at Hillsborough back in October in the reverse fixture between these two, and Wednesday’s unstructured style of defending plays into the hands of any side with an adventurous midfielder joining attacks from deep.

And I can see lightning striking again at Turf Moor for Brownhill, with the Owls likely to leave one too many loose balls unattended around the edge of their own area.

The 13/5 odds equate to a 27.8% chance of the former Bristol City man appearing on the scoresheet, but he’s outpacing that rate with his nine goals in 30 games (30%) and this is just the sort of fixture that could suit him.

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