Birmingham vs Coventry Prediction: Can league leaders get back to winning ways?

It’s been a disappointing season to say the least for Birmingham City so far. The hype surrounding the League 1 champions was massive over the summer, but halfway through the season they sit 17th. 

Next up, they host league leaders Coventry (12:00 GMT, Sky Sports Football), who have seen their progress falter in recent weeks. Below you can find my Birmingham vs Coventry predictions featuring team news and more.

Football Odds

Team News

We can expect under pressure boss Chris Davies to ring the changes for Birmingham after his side were dispatched 3-0 by Watford last time out. Marvin Ducksch is likely to come in to lead the line after Kyogo Furuhashi failed to impress, while Willum Willumsson was also poor at Vicarage Road and withdrawn at half-time. 

Marc Leonard or Lewis Koumas could be handed a start in his place, or the returning Tommy Doyle could come straight back in. He served a three-game suspension but is now available, but centre-back Christpoh Klarer remains out after his red vs Derby. Eiran Cashin could come back into the back line as Davies looks for some solidity after a poor run, while he is sweating on the fitness of talisman Jay Stansfield, who missed the Watford defeat.

Coventry manager Frank Lampard made six changes after the defeat to Ipswich Town and switched to three at the back, but it didn’t work as they lost a one-goal lead to draw 1-1 at the Valley. 

For this one we can expect Ephron Mason-Clark, Jack Rudoni and Tatsuhiro Sakamoto to be reinstated, and Lampard to go back to the 4-2-3-1 system that was working earlier in the season. Jay Dasilva will return at left-back having served his three-match suspension, while Ellis Simms should edge out Haji Wright up top having scored at Charlton. Victor Torp missed the draw at Charlton and is a doubt for this one. 

Birmingham vs Coventry Odds

Birmingham are priced at 6/4 to win this game, while for the first time in a while Coventry are the underdogs - at 7/4. A draw is 12/5, over 2.5 goals is 4.5 and BTTS is 4/7.

In terms of goalscorers, Stansfield leads the way at 9/2, while Wright is 5/1 to find the net first for the visitors. 

Today's Football Fixtures

Coventry to win @ 7/4

As a Coventry fan it’s been a disappointing watch of late after a scintillating start to the season, with a defeat to Ipswich and a draw at Charlton halting the staggering progress at the top of the league. 

The goals have dried up with just five in the last six outings, but I think Rudoni looked sharper off the bench at Charlton and along with Sakamoto and Mason-Clark the trio should add attacking impetus back into this XI. I also think a fierce atmosphere could help this Coventry team out, and they need a statement win to get back on track. 

Birmingham are not the team we all thought they would be at the start of the campaign, and it feels as though Davies is on the brink. One more defeat could see him gone before we get stuck too far into the January transfer window. I think Cov need the victory here and given Blues have no wins in seven, I’ll back them to get it.

Ephron Mason-Clark to score anytime @ 11/4

It was a strange decision from Lampard to not only leave EMC out of the starting line-up against Chalrton, but only bring him on in the 85th minute. There’s been illness running through the squad so potentially that was part of him, but expect him to return here. 

With Wright and Simms not too reliable in front of goal, and Brandon Thomas-Asante out injured, it has been Mason-Clark that has stepped up in recent weeks. He had scored three goals in three games before drawing a blank against Ipswich and being benched against Charlton, but I think he can get back to his best here. 

It’s a big price against a Birmingham side struggling to keep clean sheets, while their right-back troubles could be exposed by an elite left winger. 

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