Plymouth vs Cardiff prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2024-01-19 15:00.
Ian Foster only took charge at Home Park earlier this month, but the new Plymouth Argyle head coach believes his players are already getting to grips with how he wants them to play. The 47-year-old felt that his team “implemented our ideas well” as they drew 1-1 away to fellow strugglers Huddersfield Town in his first league game in the dugout last weekend, extending his unbeaten start to life in charge (W1, D1).
Plymouth have now only lost once in their last seven Championship encounters (W1, D5), but they remain perilously close to the relegation zone, largely due to their struggles in seeing out games. Three times in their last four second-tier outings, the Pilgrims have found themselves in front, only to surrender that advantage, which perhaps explains why they’re in the midst of a five-match winless league run (D4, L1).
That may not end any time soon, given that visitors Cardiff City have been defeated in just one of their last seven H2Hs in Devon (W2, D4). The Bluebirds also make the long journey south following away league victories against Sheffield Wednesday and Queens Park Rangers, meaning that they are hoping to register a third successive Championship win on the road for the first time in nearly three years.
Such form has helped put the South Wales outfit just three points off the top six, although their promotion hopes were dealt a significant blow last Saturday in a 3-0 hammering at home to Leeds United. Manager Erol Bulut slammed his players for not only a lack of “fight” in that fixture, but also for “too many individual mistakes” in defence as Cardiff failed to keep a clean sheet for the eighth straight game in all competitions, with 17 goals conceded in that period.
Key battle: All-but one of Ryan Hardie’s last 14 goals for Plymouth have come after half-time. Aiming to keep him quiet, Cardiff defender Perry Ng has never won in five personal H2Hs (D1, L4), with his side on the day conceding at least two goals on each occasion.
Hot stat: Cardiff have conceded just five first-half away league goals this season – the joint-lowest total in the Championship.