Bristol City vs Rotherham prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2023-04-21 14:00.
Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson bemoaned that his side “ended up losing a game that we shouldn’t do” as promotion hopefuls Sheffield United defeated them 1-0 on Tuesday. With mathematical safety secured and playoff qualification now unattainable, all that’s left for the Robins is to finish as well as they possibly can and perhaps target 60 Championship points by winning seven of the remaining nine points on offer. A win over relegation-threatened Rotherham United would be a good start, a victory which would also mark their first league H2H double since the 1995/96 season after winning the reverse fixture 3-1.
Recent performances at Ashton Gate raise hopes of achieving that, as Bristol City are unbeaten across eight Championship home matches (W4, D4). With their last home match of the campaign scheduled next against champions-elect Burnley, a win here may end up being their last victory to savour in front of their home fans.
Rotherham held champions-elect Burnley to a 2-2 draw on Tuesday, with coach Matt Taylor lauding “the spirit of the whole group” as they continue their fight to avoid the drop. Just one defeat across their last five games (W1, D3, L1) highlights their battling spirit but the close nature of the relegation scrap this year means a defeat here, combined with adverse results elsewhere could see them close to the bottom-three by the weekend!
With two of their remaining four Championship matches against teams below them in the table, the visitors may be forgiven for preserving their energy for those clashes. That won’t necessarily signal an easy passage for the hosts, as five draws across their last seven away league games (L2) suggests Rotherham won’t wave the white flag easily.
Key battle: Defender Cameron Pring scored Bristol’s last goal in the reverse fixture and his last three assists have come in two home wins. His main task, though, could be to halt Rotherham’s Jordan Hugill who has three goals in his last two personal H2Hs, ending on the winning side both times.
Hot stat: Rotherham are the only Championship side yet to score beyond the 80th minute in away matches this season.