David Flower
Dailysports's expert
Sunderland
Blackburn
Bonus up to $130/€100
One of the matches of the 44th round of the Championship will be played on Monday at the Stadium of Light, where local Sunderland will host Blackburn. I suggest betting on goals in this clash with excellent odds.
Match preview
Sunderland entered the campaign with ambitions and hopes for direct promotion to the elite, boasting a competitive squad capable of tackling top-level challenges. Moreover, during the winter transfer window, the club made precise reinforcements, adding depth and versatility to the lineup. However, the realities of the season turned out to be harsher than expected.
After 43 rounds, the "Black Cats" settled in fourth place with 76 points, trailing second-placed Sheffield United by 15 points. Sunderland has been performing poorly in recent matches, failing to secure a win. After a draw with Norwich away (0-0), the Black Cats lost at home to Swansea with a minimal score of 0-1, and in the last round, they were defeated 1-2 by Bristol City on the road.
Blackburn also started the season with justified hopes of reaching the playoffs, and for a significant part of the distance, Valérien Ismaël's team indeed remained in the thick of the fight for the top 6. However, everything went awry at the most inopportune moment — the "Rovers" hit a serious slump and dropped out of the race on the home stretch.
As a result, the team's losing streak reached five consecutive defeats, and the Rovers couldn't win in eight matches in a row. Recent results have noticeably improved — two wins and a draw. In the last round, Blackburn defeated Millwall at home with a score of 4-1. Nevertheless, the team still occupies 10th place with 50 points, now trailing the playoff zone by 7 points — almost a sentence given the current dynamics.
Probable lineups
- Sunderland: Patterson - Cirkin, O'Nien, Michut, Hume - Le Fée, Bellingham, Neil, Rigg - Isidor, Mayenda
- Blackburn: Pears - Yuri Ribeiro, Batth, Hyam, Carter - Travis, Tronstad, Buckley, Dolan, Woodrow - Ohashi
Match facts and head-to-head
- In the first round, the teams drew 2-2
- The bet on "both teams to score" has won in the last 4 matches
- The "total over 2.5" bet has won in the last 4 encounters
Prediction
Bookmakers favor Sunderland and offer odds of 1.76 for their victory. We believe the "Black Cats" will eventually win here, and as a bet, we'll take "Total under 2.5" with odds of 1.75.
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