Watford vs Blackpool prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2023-01-13 15:00.
Watford will be keen to immediately put their FA Cup elimination at the hands of Reading (0-2) behind them and instead focus on a push for promotion that was back on track following their 1-0 win at Norwich City to open the 2023 calendar year. Back-to-back home games against relegation contenders Blackpool and Rotherham United provide an excellent opportunity to keep their challengers at bay whilst making amends for some underachievement at home under manager Slaven BiliÄ (W3, D1, L3).
BiliÄ was keen to focus on the positives of their FA Cup loss, namely the competitive debut of Canadian World Cup representative IsmaĂ«l KonĂ©, who he asserted is âready to make an impact straight awayâ pending a potential league debut for the club this week. KonĂ©âs arrival is a timely one, following four hamstring injuries in Watfordâs last two competitive fixtures to add to their growing casualty ward.
Blackpool have dropped into a perilous position in the Championshipâs relegation zone following nine games without a victory (D4, L5), but their âgiant killingâ FA Cup hammering of Premier League club Nottingham Forest (4-1 at home) may be the catalyst to turn things around. Manager Michael Appleton believes his side are âbuilding a little bit of momentumâ after losing just one of six competitive games since the World Cup (W1, D4), whilst also boasting the FA Cup triumph will do his players âa world of goodâ.
Whilst theyâre yet to win a Championship away trip to any of the sides tenth or higher after 26 rounds (D3, L2), Appleton and Blackpool can draw confidence from a 3-1 result at home to Watford in the reverse H2H last October, as well as a history of having lost just two of their seven trips to Vicarage Road this century (W3, D2).
Players to watch: Watford goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann has conceded three goals in each of his two previous meetings with Blackpool (W1, L1). He will be trying to thwart Jerry Yates, who bagged a brace in the reverse fixture in October and ended a nine-match drought by scoring his tenth of the season against Forest last weekend.
Hot streak: Watfordâs last nine matches in all competitions have seen at least one team keep a clean sheet.