QPR vs Birmingham prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2023-03-17 15:00.
Early season table toppers Queens Park Rangers now face fears of relegation as their campaign continues to deteriorate. The Hoops were trounced 6-1 in midweek by fellow relegation-threatened side Blackpool, leading manager Gareth Ainsworth to brand their performance as âunacceptableâ. Itâs been far from a fairytale return to his old stomping ground for Ainsworth, who has lost three of his four games at the helm (W1).
The Londoners' problems arenât limited to their new boss though, as theyâve won just two of their last 21 Championship games (D6, L13). As a result, QPR are just seven points clear of the relegation zone ahead of this round and with only three teams winning fewer points at home than the Hoopsâ 22, supporter confidence of a revival might be at an all-time low.
Birmingham find themselves in a similar situation, level on points with QPR and perilously close to the drop zone as the Championship season nears its conclusion. The Blues have won just three of their last 14 league games (D1, L10), with their latest defeat a 3-0 reverse at Watford, lamented by manager John Eustace as a âpassiveâ performance.
Visiting Loftus Road is unlikely to inspire confidence either, with Birmingham winning just one of their last nine contests here (D3, L5), while theyâve failed to score in their last two matches on this ground (D1, L1). A dreaded visit to a bogey ground could be exacerbated by Eustaceâs sideâs recent travel sickness, as theyâve won just one of their last eight league road trips (D2, L5), while theyâre without a victory in the last four matches in that sequence (D1, L3).
Key battle: Veteran QPR forward Chris Martin has faced Birmingham 21 times throughout his career, and heâll be looking to build on a meagre return of three goals from those clashes (W7, D5, L9). Looking to thwart him may be defender Auston Trusty, who has impressively scored four times for the Blues this season – three of which arrived before half-time.
Hot stat: Birmingham have scored 13 goals in the opening 15 minutes of Championship games this season – the most in the division.