Ipswich vs Sheff Wed Prediction: Moore to score in Tractor Boys win

There is a great deal riding on Sheffield Wednesday’s trip to Ipswich Town on Saturday – at both ends of the Championship table. The Owls arrive for the 15:00 GMT kick-off with work still to do in their survival battle, while Kieran McKenna’s outfit remain right in the heart of the automatic promotion race.

While Danny Rohl has sparked a sensational turnaround for the visitors since his arrival in October, the journey to Portman Road promises to be one of the biggest tasks he’s faced yet. As such, our Ipswich vs Sheff Wed predictions foresee a long afternoon for those of a Wednesday inclination.

Team news

Ipswich are still without long-term absentee George Hirst due to the ruptured hamstring he suffered against Leicester City on Boxing Day. There is no immediate likelihood of a return for the former Wednesday striker, but Janoi Donacien could be nearing a comeback soon following surgery on his adductor area.

Wednesday have been without Juan Delgado since October after the Chile international sustained a hip injury, but he could be nearing fitness and might be added to the Owls’ 25-player squad as a result. Saturday will come too soon for him though, and Rohl’s other concerns relate to issues still being carried by Josh Windass, Callum Paterson and Kristian Pedersen.

Match odds

Ipswich are big favourites for this one at 1/2, with Wednesday a distant 9/2. You can get 3/1 for the draw, while both teams to score is priced at 4/5.

Ipswich to win 3-0 @ 10/1

Any Wednesday fan will tell you that while their team has shown a remarkable improvement in form since the club sacked Xisco Munoz, that hasn’t often translated to points when coming up against the Championship’s big boys. Indeed, they have so far collected just two points from a possible 27 in fixtures against the current top six, and one of those was earned in an ultra-defensive backs-to-the-wall effort at Leeds United in September under Munoz.

This match pits the league’s joint-highest scorers (Leicester and Ipswich have 74 goals apiece) against the equal-lowest (Wednesday’s 30 is level with all-but-relegated Rotherham United), yet conversely there is little difference between these teams in the goals-against column (Ipswich 49, Wednesday 55).

McKenna’s side are known for their to-and-fro classics this season, most recently when beating Bristol City 3-2 having twice trailed.

But having been undone by two injury-time goals at Cardiff City last week, I expect a far more focused Ipswich to take the field on Saturday. And they could well deliver against an Owls team they swatted aside in one of 2023-24’s more one-sided 1-0 victories at Hillsborough in September.

Kieffer Moore to score first @ 4/1

The absence of George Hirst had many Ipswich fans fearing the worst, since the Sheffield-born front man was a key member of their side in the first half of the season as they matched Leicester stride-for-stride. However, the January addition of Kieffer Moore was a stroke of genius which has made light of Hirst’s loss.

His goal at Cardiff last Saturday was his sixth in nine matches since arriving at Portman Road, and Wednesday don’t have the greatest of records against goal-getting front men in recent matches against the Championship’s high achievers.

Patrick Bamford’s opener in the 2-0 win for Leeds at Hillsborough last Friday followed goals for Jamie Vardy, Che Adams and Ashley Barnes in victories over Wednesday as Danny Rohl’s side continue to show an inability to cut off the supply line to line-leading stars.

Moore could get Ipswich off to a flying start if Wednesday don’t effectively deal with that threat on Saturday.

Check out our other Football Betting Tips here.