Football Bet of the Day: Tractors Boys to take battle of the Blues

The wait is finally over as the long-awaited return of the Championship arrives on Friday (20:00 BST, Sky Sports Main Event) and we are to be treated to a blockbuster clash between two of the title favourites at St Andrew’s, where promoted Birmingham take on relegated Ipswich.

This is box office clash in the second tier is where my Football Bet of the Day comes from on Friday.

Birmingham vs Ipswich Odds

he Blues romped to glory in League One last term, racking up a record-breaking 111 points to make it an immediate return to the second tier.

Of course, that came as a surprise to nobody given the unheralded amount of money they spent - they broke the League One transfer record three times last summer - and the real test will be this summer.

They have been installed as third-favourites for the title, behind Ipswich and Southampton, meaning Chris Davies’ side could make a real statement by beating the Tractor Boys on Friday.

However, despite their relegation, Town have kept hold of more players than many thought they would and, perhaps most importantly, Kieran McKenna remains in the dugout.

They are title favourites for a reason and they look set to assert their dominance in the Championship’s curtain-raiser.

Football Odds

Last season, Ipswich took the increasingly popular approach of signing the Championship’s best players after achieving promotion, knowing survival was anything but likely and that should hold them in good stead ahead of the new campaign.

Sammie Szmodics, top scorer in the 2023-24 Championship season, was the standout signing at Portman Road and he was joined by fellow second-tier stars Jack Clarke, Jacob Greaves and Dara O’Shea.

All of those stars, as well as Leif Davis and Omari Hutchinson, are still Ipswich players, meaning they have the strongest squad in the Championship by some distance.

Last season’s top scorer Liam Delap has departed for Chelsea and captain Sam Morsy has also left Suffolk, but George Hirst is a proven goalscorer at this level and Azor Matusiwa is an eye-catching midfield signing, meaning their absence may not be felt too much.

Although the Ipswich faithful will have preferred to start with a home game, last term’s performances suggest an away opener may not be a bad thing. Just seven of the Tractor Boys’ 22 points were earned at Portman Road and having beaten Tottenham and Bournemouth, as well as drawn with Chelsea, on their travels, they will be quietly confident ahead of Friday’s trip to the Midlands.

Big-spending Birmingham have done their best to prepare for Championship life, splashing the cash on Kyogo Furuhashi and also adding Demarai Gray, Tommy Doyle, James Beadle and Eiran Cashin to an already talented squad, but even that may not be enough for them to keep up with Ipswich.

Davies is still new to top-level management and McKenna may have his number in the tactical battle.

Surprisingly, the hosts are favourites for this clash, opening the door for an insurance punt on Ipswich draw no bet at a still-attractive EVS price.

Offers

Build your own Bet Builder bet (3/1+) of 4+ legs on Birmingham v Ipswich and get 50% of your stake back in Free Bets up to £5 if you lose. (Credited within 24 hours

We will be Top Price on Birmingham to beat Ipswich with selected bookmakers using Oddschecker for the comparison. (Available from 09:30 Friday)

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Double Delight & Hat-Trick Heaven: Get double or treble the odds if your winning First Goalscorer bet scores a 2nd and 3rd

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

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