Stoke vs QPR Prediction: Cards the play in feisty affair

The EFL is back in full after a lengthy international break and in the Championship, there's a lower-mid-table clash taking place on Saturday afternoon (15:00).

Here is my Stoke vs QPR Prediction, as well as all the latest odds, stats and team news. 

Mark Robins has had a mixed start to his life in ST4, after taking over the Stoke City hot seat from Narcis Pelach, back in January. The 55-year-old former Coventry manager has picked up just three wins from his 13 games to date, which sees the Potters teetering just above the drop zone and a point above a resurgent Derby County.

Robins is used to contending at the other end of the table at this time of year but has plenty of experience in fighting relegation in his long career. They will need to pick up vital points here against a QPR side that has faltered of late and seen an impressive mid-season stretch, which threw up potential play-off hopes, come to a juddering halt.

Marti Cifuentes just kept the R's up last season and had a terrible start to the current campaign, which saw a few calling for the Spaniard's head. However, a run of eight wins in 12 games pulled Rangers well clear of the drop and in to the top half of the table. Seven losses in their last 10 games have seen QPR plummet back down the league and they will be hoping to build on an impressive draw against league-leaders Leeds last week.

Football Odds

Team news

Robins will have to make a late call on Iraqi international Ali Al-Hamadi after he missed his country's World Cup qualifiers with a groin strain. Bae Jun-ho should be fit to take part in this one though, after only featuring as a substitute of one of South Korea's two qualifiers.

Elsewhere, there is better news with Ben Pearson on the bench against Millwall and Ryan Mmaee scoring in an under 21s run-out.

As for Cifuentes, he is still managing an injury crisis which has plagued Rangers season, with Ilias Chair injured again, as well as Jake Clarke-Salter, Harvey Vale and Sam Field. Koka Saito is suspended after his red card last time out in the 2-2 draw versus Leeds.

Stoke vs QPR Odds

*Please click on the link above to be taken to the main Stoke vs QPR page on betfred.com (or app) for all the live betting prices on this match.

Stoke come into this one as the slight 7/5 favourites, implying a 41% chance of victory, while QPR can be backed at 21/10, or a 32.3% chance.

The draw is available at 11/5, with both teams to score at 10/11 and over 2.5 goals at 6/5, suggesting goals could be at a premium.

Al-Hamadi may be a doubt but he leads the anytime goalscorer betting here at 9/4. QPR's leading scorer Michael Frey is available at 5/2.

Stoke most booking points @ 6/4

Let's make no bones about it. Stoke are in a dire situation right now and have to start winning quickly. At this time of year people start to get desperate and that leads to cards. Stoke picked up six cards last week when chasing a 1-0 deficit against Millwall, with four of those picked up in injury time. If Stoke aren't in front here then we're probably likely to see similar desperate scenes.

Meanwhile, QPR are sliding into their flip-flops and putting up their umbrellas, as they are about as close to being on the beach as is possible. Their season is pretty much done and they won't have anywhere near the level of intensity as their opponents on Saturday.

Junior Tchamedou & Wouter Burger to be carded @ 12/1

Talking of Stoke cards, next we have two of their main offenders in the form of right-back Junior Tchamedou and defensive midfielder Wouter Burger. Between them they have picked up a total of 19 yellow cards this season and both have been booked three times in recent weeks.

Tchamedou is up against Karamoko Dembele, who is QPR's most-fouled player, drawing 1.7 fouls per game. Burger meanwhile will be right in the middle of the midfield battleground and with relegation on the line, is likely to put in some tackles he might not normally make.

I wouldn't put off anyone backing these two as singles at 10/3 and 13/5 respectively but I've put them in a Bet Builder double which pays 12/1.

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