Coventry vs Blackburn prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2023-10-03 18:45.
Neither Coventry City nor Blackburn Rovers were featured in the 12 sides most likely to be relegated from the EFL Championship at the start of this season, yet they both find themselves perilously close to the drop zone at this early stage. Coventry’s 3-1 away triumph at QPR didn’t buy them any breathing space because of wins for other lowly-ranked clubs like Stoke, Middlesbrough and Swansea.
It was nonetheless still a relief for vindicated manager Mark Robins, who declared post-match that “every (prior) game this season we could have won” and that they were thoroughly deserving of just their second success of this league campaign. Robins’ side has now opened the scoring six times already this Championship season, though on the most recent occasion they can thank goalkeeper Ben Wilson for two commendable first-half saves that helped them remain the only side without a half-time deficit this Championship season.
When these sides last met, it was goalkeeper Wilson himself who scrambled a 95th-minute corner across the line to register the fourth draw in five H2Hs since the start of 2021. Perhaps a repeat of a 1-1 scoreline would be of some relief to Blackburn for it would end a three-game losing streak of league games that has seen them concede a hefty 11 goals.
But in their defence, those three clubs all finished the previous matchday occupying top-four positions. Blackburn did show enough prior to that to suggest they can be competitive in this contest, collecting seven of a possible 12 points against clubs to start this round alongside themselves and Coventry in the bottom half of the table. That includes their only away win of this league season (1-0 at fellow battlers Watford in August).
Players to watch: Josh Eccles delivered Coventry’s second goal against QPR and assisted Jamie Allen’s match-winner the last time they hosted Blackburn (1-0). Meanwhile, Rovers continue to enjoy a strong output from Sammie Szmodics, who recorded goals in three of their last four league outings.
Hot streak: The last eight Championship matches involving either club finished with over 2.5 match goals.