Prediction: Watford vs Birmingham City

Prediction: Watford to win 2-1

Best Odds: 15/2

Bookmaker: Zetbet

Watford and Birmingham City will lock horns with each other in the Championship this week. The match between Javi Gracia’s side and Chris Davies’s team will be held at Vicarage Road and is scheduled to kick off at 3pm UK time on Thursday.

Watford

Watford are one of the biggest clubs in the Championship and are aiming to return to the Premier League. The Hornets ended up as low as 14th in the Championship table last season, but things are looking better for them this time around.

Javi Gracia’s side are sixth in the Championship table at the moment with 38 points from 24 matches. Watford are a point above seventh-placed Preston North End and occupy the final playoff spot. The Hornets are also only five points behind second-placed Middlesbrough and are still in the running for the automatic promotion spots.

Watford will head into the Championship game against Birmingham City at Vicarage Road on Thursday afternoon on the back of a 1-0 win against Norwich City away from home at Carrow Road in the league. It came after a 2-1 victory over Leicester City away from home at the King Power Stadium in the Premier League, which followed a 1-0 win against Stoke City at Vicarage Road in the league.

Team News:

Watford are likely to line up in a 4-4-2 formation against Birmingham City. Egil Selvik will be in goal for the Hornets and will have Jeremy Ngakia, Matthew Pollock, Max Alleyne and Marc Bola in front of him in defence. Hector Kyprianou and Imran Louza will be the two holding midfielders. Tom Ince and Othmane Maamma will be the two wide players. Giorgi Chakvetadze and Luca Kjerrumgaard will be the two centre-forwards.

Birmingham City

Birmingham City were once in the Premier League, and their long-term ambition is to get back to the English top flight. The Blues are playing in the Championship at the moment after winning League One at the end of last season.

Chris Davies’s side are having a decent campaign. Birmingham are 15th in the Championship table at the moment with 31 points from 24 matches. The Blues are nine points above the relegation zone and are seven points off the playoff spots.

Birmingham City will headinto the Championship game against Watford this week on the back of a 1-1 draw with Southampton at St. Andrew’s Stadium in the league. It came after a 1-1 draw with Derby County at home in the Championship, which followed a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Sheffield United at Bramall Lane in the league.

Team News:

Birmingham City are likely to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Watford. James Beadle will be in goal for Birmingham and will have Alfons Sampsted, Phil Neumann, Jack Robinson and Eiran Cashin in front of him in defence. Tomoki Iwata and Paik Seung-Ho will be the two holding midfielders. Patrick Roberts, Willum Thor Willumsson and Alfons Sampsted will be the two attacking midfielders. Kyogo Furuhashi will lead the line for Birmingham.

Key Factors to Consider

• Watford have won 4 and lost 2 of their last 6 Championship games.
• Watford have scored 34 goals and conceded 29 goals in 24 Championship games so far this season.
• Luca Kjerrumgaard has scored 7 goals in 22 Championship games for Watford so far this campaign.
• Birmingham City have not won any of their last 6 Championship games.
• Birmingham City have scored 32 goals and conceded 31 goals in 24 Championship games so far this season,

Conclusion

While Birmingham City are a good team, Watford are better and should be able to eke out a narrow win in this particular Championship game.

Prediction: Watford to win 2-1

Best Odds: 15/2

Bookmaker: Zetbet