Blackburn vs Luton prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2023-04-30 16:30.
As far as humiliation goes, your bitter rivals winning the title in your own back yard has to be ranked amongst the worst. Thatâs a fate that Blackburn suffered in midweek, as their 1-0 defeat against East Lancashire rivals Burnley not only saw the Clarets claim the Championship title, but perhaps more importantly, it further dented Roversâ play-off hopes with their two remaining games coming against sides above them in the table.
That starts with the visit of third-place Luton, in a game that has a âmust winâ err about it to Blackburn, a theory boss Jon Dahl Tomasson supports. With this game falling on Monday, Rovers will at least know what their rivals have done before they take to the field, but as they do so with a seven-match winless run in tow (D4, L3), Blackburn must simply focus on themselves before worrying about anyone else.
With a play-off spot already assured, Luton are merely jostling for third or fourth spot after Sheffield Unitedâs victory in midweek ended any lingering hopes they had of a top-two finish. Donât expect to see any let-up from the Hatters though, who on the back of a 12-match unbeaten league run (W8, D4), will be looking to continue their momentum into the play-offs.
Normally at this time of season, teams assured of a position in the top-six can strategically plot a pathway to their âpreferredâ opponent, but with fifth and sixth positions hotly contested by a wealth of sides, itâs not definitive who will make up the play-off spots. Instead, Rob Edwardsâ men must keep their foot on the pedal, with the fact theyâve lost just one away league game this season against sides starting the round in the top-half (W3, D6, L1) sure to boost belief their unbeaten run will roll on.
Players to watch: Ryan Hedges was the last currently-available Blackburn player to score a home league goal for them which came back in March, with all three of his Ewood Park strikes this season serving to give Blackburn a lead. Often the scorer of big goals, Lutonâs Carlton Morris has seen seven of his last eight goals prove decisive in victory.
Hot stat: Lutonâs away league games have averaged a joint league-low of 1.91 goals per game ahead of the round.