Blackburn vs Reading prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2023-03-14 19:45.
Blackburn’s 11-game unbeaten run came to a grinding halt at Stoke last Friday, but in slicing a 3-0 deficit with a quarter-hour remaining to lose only 3-2, the one-time Premier League winners illustrated just how much fight they can put up these days. And that’s certainly been the case on home soil of late, with a hat-trick of 1-0 victories at Ewood Park prior to kick-off.
The hosts also boast an imperious record from ten half-time leads at home in the Championship (W9, L1), which itself started the new week as a league-high. Aside from keeping Blackburn in the top-six, those successes also mean that Rovers could grind out five straight home shutouts – something not done since the spring of 2003!
At the same point, Reading were in the infancy of their current 21-year stay inside English football’s top two divisions, but to avoid any chance of that being stubbed out, a drastic change in form after one win in five (L4) is needed now. Yet, a 75% winless rate from visits to this part of Lancashire across the past decade only suggests more misery (W2, D2, L4).
The Royals’ most recent road trip (0-5 vs Middlesbrough) accounts for the bulk of nine unanswered goals conceded across their previous five losses. This makes Reading very logical candidates to help Blackburn emulate that fabled run of five home shutouts, as does the visitors’ lack of a goal or second-half clean sheet in five Championship away games (L5).
Players to watch: Mirroring the time bracket in which Reading unfailingly conceded across those five losses, Blackburn’s Sam Gallagher has netted in the 60th minute or later twice in three league games. In opposition, Tom Ince again stands out amongst the Royals, as he faces the club that sacked his father after just 177 days in charge back in 2008 – though his last three goalscoring road trips have all ended in defeat!
Hot stat: Including stoppage time goals, Blackburn have scored six home league match openers between the 31st-45th minute – a Championship-high in that period.