Birmingham City and Reading square off in a Friday night Championship fixture with both teams looking to improve their current league positions.
Birmingham have claimed just two wins in their last eight matches across all competitions. They are currently in the bottom half of the table but could move within two points of the playoff places if results go their way this weekend.
One of the problems for Birmingham City is that they have been plagued by too many draws lately having been held three times in the last five matches. John Eustace’s men played out a 0-0 scoreline with Blackpool in their previous Championship fixture.
Another issue that has plagued Birmingham City for much of the season is an inability to maintain their discipline at the back. The result at Blackpool was their first clean sheet in the last four Championship matches having conceded five goals in that run.
Reading are having a slightly better campaign than Birmingham and are currently in the mix for the playoffs. They are currently two points off the top six and can rise as high as fifth if results go their way this weekend.
Having previously gone on a run of just one win in nine matches, Reading now head to Birmingham off the back of two straight victories. They edged out Coventry City 1-0 in their previous Championship fixture with Amadou Mbengue’s second half effort proving the difference.
Reading have been unconvincing on their travels this season, although they recently ended a six match winless run away from home with a 2-1 victory at Hull City. Paul Ince’s men also struggled to maintain their defensive solidity on the road with just one clean sheet in their last six away matches.
How the bookies view it
Birmingham City have the edge among the bookies and are priced at 57/50 by Unibet to claim the win. A victory for Reading is valued at 29/10 by SBK while a draw is set at odds of 23/10 by BoyleSports.
Recent head-to-head
The last six meetings between Birmingham City and Reading have been evenly split with both teams claiming three wins each. However, Reading did the double over their rivals last season, claiming 2-1 victories in both fixtures.
Players to watch
Scott Hogan is the leading scorer for Birmingham City this season with nine goals and will be the one to watch on Friday. The forward has also found the net twice in his last three matches and is priced at 12/5 by Paddy Power to once again get on the score sheet.
Reading have spread their goals across the team this season but Lucas Joao is the man often tasked with leading the line. The striker will be looking to improve his tally of four goals and is priced at 13/5 by bet365 to find the net on Friday.
Anything else catch the eye?
Birmingham City and Reading have both scored in their last six meetings and a similar outcome is priced at evens with Betfred. All six meetings have produced over 2.5 goals which is priced at 17/13 by 10bet while over 3.5 goals is valued at 18/5 by BetVictor.
There were more goals after the break in the two meetings last season and Friday’s clash could be set to follow a similar pattern at 6/5 by Paddy Power.
This England Championship match between Birmingham City and Reading will be played on Dec 16, 2022 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Birmingham City vs Reading prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
