Stoke vs Birmingham Prediction & Betting Tips - Championship

Prediction published on 18/01/2024, 10:00  by Kennedy Kechula in Championship Predictions

Stoke will be at home to welcome Birmingham as the English Championship continues with matchday 28. Three points separate the two sides coming into this game with Stoke in 17th having the advantage over 20th-placed Birmingham. Stoke got back to winning ways last time out and they will be eager to keep this momentum going. Steven Schumacher’s men defeated Rotherham 1-0 away from home to secure only their second victory in 14 outings. The win moved them to 32 points and 10 clear of the relegation places. Stoke have struggled this season and have managed just eight wins in their 27 league games. One of their wins came in the reverse match against Birmingham back in December as they emphatically won 3-1.

Birmingham are seeing an improvement in form at the moment and this has coincided with their managerial change. Wayne Rooney was sacked as manager after a 3-0 loss away to Leeds to begin the year. Tony Mowbray was brought in as his replacement and the former Sunderland coach hasn’t lost the two games he has presided over. Birmingham, who haven’t now lost in three outings, are coming off a 2-1 win over Hull City in the FA Cup. It was a replay match after the initial fixture in Hull had ended 1-1. Birmingham are now through to the fourth round of the Cup for the second successive season. They will hope this sparks a turnaround in the league starting with this trip to Stoke. Birmingham had gone six games without defeat to Stoke before this season.