Reading vs Rotherham prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2023-02-13 20:00.
Reading’s winless Championship run extended to a sixth game last Saturday, with a late goal at Sunderland condemning them to defeat and renewing lingering fears of another close relegation shave. But they are still pre-match favourites here, and could open up an eight-point gap ahead of 20th-placed Rotherham if they can get that first league win of 2023.
Remarkably, that defeat on Wearside was the third time in four league matches that the Royals had directly gained or lost points via a goal in or after the 80th minute. And any victory might well prove to be reliant on later exertions too, especially with three of Reading’s last four competitive home wins seeing the decisive goal arrive after half-time.
Visitors Rotherham make the journey south on a mildly encouraging run of four games unbeaten (W1, D3), which sees them sit four points above the drop zone ahead of kick-off. But the 0-0 draw at Blackpool they took last time out was significant for the wrong reasons, with the Millers failing to net for a fourth time in five Championship road trips.
Sadly for the Millers, away blanks are nothing new – especially in defeat, as they’ve failed to respond on the previous 12 occasions they’ve conceded first in Championship away action, in a sad trend going back to December 2020. Going even further back (all the way to October 1978!) they are also winless in their last 18 jaunts to Reading (D5, L13).
Players to watch: Jeff Hendrick snatched a late point from 2-0 down in Reading’s most recent home outing (2-2 vs Watford), meaning that all three of his prior goalscoring games this term have ended level. As for the visitors’ potential impact players, fellow Irishman Chiedozie Ogbene rounded off the scoring in August’s reverse fixture (W 4-0).
Hot stat: The average total goal tally across Rotherham’s away league games so far this season is exactly 2.00.