The Easter Weekend carries all the way through to Monday and in doing so we have a treble where we are predicting the result where both teams will score. Tired legs after the weekend’s games should leave us with a shed load of goals. Take a look at our picks…
Birmingham City v Blackburn Rovers – 3.00pm Monday
Blackburn Rovers to win and BTTS is 9/5
At time of writing Birmingham have yet to play their Saturday tie verses Nottingham Forest, and with just a full day on Sunday for rest, this home tie against Play Off pushing Blackburn could have waited. Those tired legs will be facing a much hungrier outfit with Birmingham’s safety in the Championship more or less safe for another season. Lee Clark’s side also have the worst home record in the division having won just two of their 21 games at St Andrews. Those poor fans. In only six of these games have they failed to score and with Rovers needing nothing but a win, opportunities certainly won’t be few and far between for the home side.
Blackburn will be kicking themselves after throwing away a perfect opportunity on Friday to go within a point of the Play off places. Rovers played out a 0-0 with bottom of the league Yeovil Town at Ewood Park and had enough chances to seal the points. This will be their last opportunity to keep themselves in the run-in with so few games to go, with a defeat meaning another season in the Championship. On the road Blackburn have been undefeated in nine matches now and will have quality on their side when these two meet. Jordan Rhodes has scored eight in his last eleven games and I am predicting the striker to further his tally here.
Yeovil Town v Huddersfield Town – 3.00pm Monday
Yeovil to win and BTTS is 4/1
I am going to put my neck out on the line here and say Yeovil are going to win on Monday. This goes against any form, head to heads and injury lists I have but Yeovil have so much to play for whereas Huddersfield sealed their safety last Friday when they played out an important 1-1 draw against Brighton at the McAlpine. A defeat will all but seal the fate of Yeovil as they are currently five points away from Blackpool in 21st. A draw will not do either and this will be treated like a cup final at Huish Park. Huddersfield have not won in ten league games in a row and with so much at stake I can see Yeovil getting a rare win.
After the aforementioned point at home to Brighton, Huddersfield have seven points between them and Millwall in 22nd and with so many sides between them and the drop, the Terriers will be safe for another year. The long trip South will be less important now, giving Yeovil the edge for motivation. Huddersfield will be confident of scoring, when the pair met back in December they scored five goals and with Yeovil keeping only five clean sheets all season, I expect BTTS to land.
Brighton v Blackpool – 3.00pm Monday
Brighton to win and BTTS is 11/4
Brighton missed an opportunity to make their play-off position look far more secure when a 1-1 draw away to Huddersfield on Friday appeared to be two dropped points. Games at the Amex Stadium for Brighton tend to see under 2.5 goals regularly but with so much at stake for the two sides, a win for both in necessary. Brighton will be facing a Blackpool side on the hunt for a win and nothing but a win, give the likes of Jose Ulloa plenty of chances for goals, the Argentinian have found the net eight times in his previous 13 goals and will be licking his lips like a cat who has just got the job of nocturnal security at the national cream convention at the largest Tuna factory in Siberia. Makail Smith made the squad on Friday and since his long term injury he will be hungry for goals too. The South Coast side should have more than enough to win at home as they push for Premier League action.
Blackpool have plummeted into free fall and having lost their last four matches are on the edge of exiting the Championship. If they have ever required a win, it is now and I expect the Tangerines to be on the attack from the start which should leave us with a very open game. I can see Blackpool getting a goal and perhaps even taking the lead, as Brighton have been 1-0 down at the break six times this season at home. However, Blackpool have not won away for 14 games in the league and this Brighton side with so much to play for, should have too much.
A £10 stake on this treble will return an enormous £525
