Birmingham vs Watford prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2022-08-15 18:45.
If offered four points from three games before a ball was kicked, many of the Birmingham City faithful may have taken it given that they were amongst the pre-season picks for relegation (W1, D1, L1). Blues boss John Eustace had little complaints after their loss to Cardiff over the weekend either, simply stating that his side “weren’t at the races”.
However if not for points deductions to one of their rivals, Birmingham would have survived by goal difference alone last season, so they need improvement this time around. Looking forward, Birmingham now have the chance to notch back-to-back home wins for the first time since November 2021, though losing five of their last six home games against freshly relegated opponents suggests they may be left feeling blue once again as they face Watford.
Sitting pretty with seven points from three games (W2, D1), Watford seem to already be entering a critical juncture in their bid for a top-flight return, even at this early stage. The departure of prolific attacker Emmanuel Dennis, alongside IsmaĂŻla Sarr also edging towards the exit door, raises questions around whether the Hornets can keep the sting in their tails without the presence of such talismanic players.
It would be unfair to pin their promotion hopes on just a couple of players though, as with two 1-0 wins, Watford’s astute defence is also largely responsible for their early success so far. In fact the Hornets have kept clean sheets in ten of their last 12 wins at this level, including each of the last eight! Boss Rob Edwards echoed that sentiment by stating that his team have shown “incredible unity and fighting spirit” across the opening rounds.
Players to watch: Birmingham captain Troy Deeney contributed to 202 goals in the colours of Watford (G140, A62), so he’ll be due a warm reception from away fans in his first game against his former employers. As for Watford, João Pedro will likely take on the scoring responsibility, but he wasn’t on the winning side in three of his last four scoring appearances (D1, L2).
Hot stat: Watford have kept clean sheets in seven of the last eight H2H encounters (W7, L1).