Millwall vs Birmingham Prediction: Blues to extend their unbeaten run

Seven points separate Millwall (third) and Birmingham City (seventh) ahead of their Championship clash on Wednesday (19:45 GMT, Sky Sports+) at The Den. Both teams are gunning for promotion and the Lions are nicely nestled inside the play-offs, while the Blues are looking to find their way into the top six.

My Millwall vs Birmingham predictions can be found below, alongside the latest match odds and team news.

Team News

After missing the weekend's home defeat to Portsmouth due to illness, forward Josh Coburn is a slight doubt for this one. Joe Bryan (toe) and Massimo Luongo (knee) are out due to injury, so Alex Neil is missing two big personalities when it comes to promotion-winning experience from this division.

Anthony Patterson, who joined in the winter transfer window from Sunderland on loan, is set to keep his place between the sticks on Wednesday.

Football Odds

Birmingham are missing Alex Cochrane (ankle), Jack Robinson (hamstring) and Paik Seung-ho (shoulder) due to injury.

With Paik out, Tomoki Iwata may continue in his more comfortable role of midfield to partner Jhon Solis for the second league game in a row.

Boss Chris Davies may think to refresh his options but given their success at Norwich City on Saturday, an unchanged lineup seems a possibility. This would keep talisman Jay Stansfield on the bench, however.

Carlos Vicente netted his first goal for the club last time out so he should keep his place on the right flank ahead of Patrick Roberts.

Today's Football Fixtures

Millwall vs Birmingham Odds

Millwall have won three of their past five league matches and they are 6/4 to come out on top.

Four of Birmingham's last eight competitive games have ended level (after regulation time) and the draw is valued at 21/10.

The Blues are 15/8 to claim their fourth successive victory on the road.

Over 2.5 goals has been a winning selection in six of Millwall's previous eight home fixtures in the second tier, and is priced at 11/10 (implied probability of 47.6%).

Double Chance & BTTS - Draw or Birmingham & Yes @ 7/5

After losing 3-0 at Watford on New Year's Day, Birmingham City looked like a team consigned to mid-table mediocrity. For a team who for the majority of the past decade has been lingering towards the bottom of the Championship table, this would be seen as a great improvement.

Not under their new ambitious owners, Knighthead Capital Management, who want to get to the Premier League as soon as possible. The Watford defeat proved the summer recruitment drive had not worked as planned and so the Blues had to undergo a mini rebuild in the winter transfer window.

Six new players were brought in and have helped the team go on an incredible eight-game unbeaten run in the second tier, to take them on the cusp of the play-off places. Having beaten Sheffield Wednesday and Oxford United on the road, an in-form Norwich were the real test for Davies' men.

They overcame that, largely thanks to some James Beadle heroics, and now they turn their attention to high-flying Millwall, who were stunned by Portsmouth last time out. The Lions are a different side to the one Birmingham brushed aside 4-0 back in November but the same can be said for the Blues.

On paper this is a tough task for both teams and I think both would happily walk away with a point before the game. For Birmingham, this is an opportunity for them to make another statement in the race for the play-offs as a win here would only strengthen their top-six credentials.

I believe they are more than capable of winning here now that they have added quality in depth, but Millwall are a top side when they are at the races. I'll cover the Blues and a draw in the double chance market with the addition of BTTS - which has landed in three of the hosts' last four home games in the Championship.

Anytime Goalscorer - Marvin Ducksch @ 2/1

Marvin Ducksch was an exciting addition to Birmingham's ranks in the summer but was signed with an injury. Upon getting up to speed he was soon out for another period and fans feared they would hardly see the German attacker.

It hasn't been until the turn of the year that we have seen the best of the former German international. Five of his eight league goals have come across his last eight appearances in the second tier, with his latest coming at Norwich at the weekend.

His intelligence, passing and finishing puts him as one of the best technical players in the division and for that reason I think he will be set for another starring role on Wednesday. It's time for another Ducksch feeding.

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