New boys Birmingham host title favourites Ipswich in a fascinating clash to kick-off the 25/26 Championship season. Will City maintain their momentum?
Best bets for Birmingham City vs Ipswich Town
- Ipswich Town (Tie No Bet) @ +100 with BetMGM
- Over 2.5 goals @ +100 with BetMGM
- Both Teams to score (Yes) @ -120 with BetMGM
All odds are courtesy of BetMGM, correct at the time of publishing and subject to change
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Backing the visitors - with a backstop
There’s no doubt that Birmingham City have made big moves in the transfer market since returning to the second tier. Many people think they will try to compete for back-to-back promotions, like Ipswich Town did in 2023/24.
However, it shouldn’t be forgotten that Ipswich are a different team now. The Tractor Boys used their Premier League revenue to invest in elite-level Championship stars like Jack Clarke, Jaden Philogene, Sam Szmodics, and Jacob Greaves.
This squad, with new quality players like Azor Matusiwa, will be competing for automatic promotion again. Backing Kieran McKenna’s side to win at even-money – with a full refund if the game ends in a draw – seems like the value play of our Birmingham City vs Ipswich Town predictions.
- Birmingham vs Ipswich Bet 1: Ipswich Town (Draw No Bet) @ +100 with BetMGM
Both teams fired up for goals
Both squads have plenty of firepower for this game. The likes of Jay Stansfield, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Demarai Gray will be the Blues’ main goal threats.
Meanwhile, Ipswich have George Hirst, Jack Clarke, and the 2023/24 Championship top scorer, Sam Szmodics, in their ranks. Although neither team will want to lose on the opening weekend, it’s not in either team’s nature to play defensively.
That’s why it’s worth backing the Over 2.5 goals line at a probability of 48.78%.
- Birmingham vs Ipswich Bet 2: Over 2.5 goals @ +100 with BetMGM
Goals expected from both sides
It’s clear that both teams possess goal threats, so it’s worth doubling down on the likelihood of goals by backing both teams to find the back of the net too.
Birmingham’s defence haven’t faced a forward line as strong as Ipswich’s in a competitive contest for a while. Meanwhile, the Blues keeper Ryan Allsop is arguably one of the weaker players in their lineup.
When Ipswich landed automatic promotion out of this division two seasons ago, they scored plenty of goals. They were the league’s top scorers, with 92 goals scored at an average of two per game. However, they conceded 57 goals, equating to an average of 1.24 goals per game.
- Birmingham vs Ipswich Bet 3: Both Teams to Score (Yes) @ -120 with BetMGM
Our analysis: Form of both teams
Birmingham City host Championship title favourites Ipswich Town in their first game back in the second tier on Friday night.
The Blues romped to the EFL League One title last season, having finished the season with 111 points. It appears that Rookie boss Chris Davies has had an instant impact on Birmingham. And with new American investment, the squad has improved massively in the last 18 months.
City have ended their pre-season campaign with a morale-boosting 1-0 home win over Premier League side Nottingham Forest. St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park is expected to be full on Friday night, with the Blues fans set to welcome their team back in the Championship.
Ipswich Town have been given a very difficult start to the EFL Championship. After relegation from the Premier League, Kieran McKenna’s men must regroup and bounce back immediately. This first game will be a challenging test of their promotion credentials on Friday night.
The Tractor Boys have been in formidable form during pre-season. Their striker, George Hirst, has scored four goals in as many games. Fitness doubts linger over the left side of the team. Leif Davis missed the final pre-season game, while Jaden Philogene sustained an ankle injury in it. However, Town do have plenty of proven Championship campaigners in reserve.
Probable lineups for Birmingham City vs Ipswich Town
Birmingham City expected lineup: Allsop; Osayi-Samuel, Klarer, Neumann, Cochrane, Seung-Ho, Iwata, Doyle, Anderson, Gray, Stansfield
Ipswich Town expected lineup: Palmer; Johnson, O’Shea, Greaves, Davis, Matusiwa, Taylor, Szmodics, J. Clarke, Ogbene, Hirst