Stoke vs Burnley prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2022-12-29 19:45.
At the rear of a clutch of sides chasing a play-off berth, Stoke were left rueing missed opportunities on Boxing Day, twice having to battle from behind to claim a 2-2 draw against Rotherham. That result might have extended their unbeaten run to three matches (W1, D2), but boss Alex Neil has insisted his side now have “no excuses” as he challenged them to step up in the race for a top-six spot.
Neil perhaps couldn’t have handpicked a tougher assignment here though, with rampant league-leaders Burnley next up for Stoke, a side they haven’t beaten in four league attempts (D2, L2). The Potters have recently proved they can compete against their opponents though, after claiming a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture, making them the only side to leave Turf Moor without tasting defeat dating back to the end of August.
The Clarets are a different beast these days when compared with that fateful October night, and having opened up an 11-point gap to third place Blackburn ahead of the round, automatic promotion is becoming a more distinct possibility. A 3-0 win over Birmingham on Tuesday was the latest in a run of comfortable Burnley wins, as Vincent Kompany’s men now go in search of five successive league victories for the first time this season.
Just three wins in Burnley's last eight Championship away games (D4, L1) tells us that there may be room for improvement on their travels, yet having won 3-0 at QPR on their last away league outing, they could now secure their first pair of back-to-back road wins this season. You’d perhaps be brave to bet against Burnley doing so, especially with their free-scoring form at the moment, having netted exactly three goals in five of their last six league games (W5, L1).
Players to watch: Scorer against Rotherham, three of Tyrese Campbell’s four goals this season made the score 1-1. Meanwhile, Burnley’s Anass Zaroury announced his return from the World Cup with a goal against Birmingham, meaning he has now scored in three successive club appearances.
Hot stat: Ahead of the round, no Championship side has scored more goals beyond the 90th minute than Burnley and Stoke (four each).