Coventry vs Rotherham Prediction: Millers braced for another defeat

Coventry City host Rotherham United at the Coventry Building Society Arena on Tuesday night (19:45), looking to keep alive their fading hopes of a top six place. Last season’s beaten play-off finalists have lost their last two league matches, and are struggling to find the form that took them into the top six in January. 

Fortunately, on paper, they face the easiest fixture the Championship has to offer on Tuesday. Rotherham are the worst team in the league, having amassed just 19 points and won three games all season. The Millers have lost their last seven games in a row, but did beat Coventry 2-0 in the reverse fixture. 

Here’s how we see this one panning out. 

Team News

It’s no coincidence that Coventry’s form has unravelled while Ben Sheaf has been sidelined. The influential midfielder should return in a couple of weeks, but now Mark Robins has other issues to try and solve. The attacking fluidity of his side has been hampered by the news that Tatsuhiro Sakamoto will miss the rest of the season, and with no natural wingers, the 4-2-3-1 formation has been temporarily binned. Jamie Allen also remains out after his surgery, but should return by the end of March. 

For Rotherham United, their defensive issues continue to grow. Sean Morrison is out with a calf issue, while Grant Hall and Tyler Blackett are also sidelined. Even replacements Seb Revan and Lee Peltier are out leaving Cameron Humphreys as the only fit central defender at the club. Ollie Rathbone could return having missed the weekend defeat to Sheffield Wednesday but manager Leam Richardson is down to the bare bones. 

Match Odds

Coventry are the heavy favourites for this one, as you would expect. The Sky Blues are priced at 1/3 to win this game, with Rotherham priced at 17/2. A draw can be backed at 4/1, BTTS is EVS and over 2.5 goals is 8/13. 

Coventry to win and BTTS @ 2/1

As a Coventry fan, this has been a tough game to preview. What I’ve seen in the last two weeks has been odd, to say the least. A 3-0 home defeat to Preston North End was a horror show, but then again, we always lose to Preston. That was followed up with a 5-0 win over Maidstone United in the FA Cup, before West Brom brought us back down to earth with a bump.

Sakamoto’s injury has completely changed the dynamic of this squad, and ultimately, I think it has ended our hopes of another top-six finish. However, Robins will be searching for solutions, which could include a more aggressive version of the back five we saw against the Baggies. Haji Wright will surely start in whatever system, having scored off the bench from the spot and potentially two strikers could improve the Sky Blues’ fortunes. 

Ultimately, this is the perfect game for Cov. Rotherham are in the middle of an injury crisis and cannot buy a point, let alone a win. Anything less than three points will be a disgrace for the home side, and although I think this leaky defence could concede at some point, they should come out on top. Coventry have kept just one clean sheet in their last eleven league games, giving us a price of 2/1 on a home win and BTTS. 

Haji Wright to score two or more @ 8/1

Alright fine, let’s pump a bit of optimism into this preview. Coventry haven’t quite found the solution to Sakamoto’s absence, but this game is the perfect chance to get back on track. They should create plenty of chances, and record-signing Wright is sure to start after impressing again off the bench at the Hawthorns. 

He’s best off the left wing, which would see him run at a makeshift Rotherham defence. With Kasey Palmer and Callum O’Hare providing the ammunition, Wright can have a profitable day in front of goal. 8/1 on him to score two or more feels generous.

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