Midweek Championship Tips: Robins to suffer yet another defeat at Adams Park

Chairboys to triumph in Buckinghamshire

Wycombe 2.962/1 v Bristol City 2.526/4; The Draw 3.3512/5
Wednesday, 19:00

Although they remain nine points from safety with just four games left to play, the Wycombe players still believe that they can preserve their Championship status this season. Manager Gareth Ainsworth has exuded positivity throughout the campaign, and although blowing a two goal lead against Swansea on Saturday lunchtime was far from ideal, the Lancastrian still described his team's performance as "fantastic" and as a result, he will be confident of picking up something on Wednesday evening.

The Chairboys have scrapped for every single point, and very few sides have enjoyed playing them this season, particularly at Adams Park. However, they've occasionally lacked the neccessary quality to close out games, and their inexperience has cost them a number of points throughout the course of the campaign.

Ten days ago, they were in complete control against near-neighbours Luton Town before Josh Knight's sending off derailed their progress. Each of the last five goals that they've conceded have come in the final ten minutes, and their inability to hold onto leads has proved costly over the last few weeks. On the contrary, Ainsworth's men haven't conceded during the first 45 since the beginning of March, and have shipped just two first half goals in their last 13 fixtures.

Despite their lowly position, they've lost just two of their last seven Championship matches, and will fancy their chances against an out-of-form Bristol City. Garath McCleary rolled back the years at the weekend with yet another dynamic performance, and the powerful combination of Admiral Muskwe and Uche Ikpeazu is likely to give the majority of opposition defences plenty to think about.

Bristol City stopped the rot at the weekend by picking up a point against struggling Sheffield Wednesday. The Robins rode their luck at times and were indebted to Dan Bentley's first-half penalty save. They were outshot 20-5 and were second best in most areas of the pitch. Henri Lansbury's deliberate handball means the midfield will not feature on Wednesday night, although some Robins fans may view that as a positive. The midfielder is one of a number of players who have disappointed this season, with experienced coach Nigel Pearson having failed to get the best out of his current crop.

They've been woeful at Ashton Gate this season, however, they've not been much better on their travels recently. They've picked up just three points from a possible 18, and it's been over a month since they last collected a maximum. With very little to play for, they could struggle to get anything from this game.

There is far more at stake for Wycombe Wanderers on Wednesday night, and although their survival hopes are dwindling, they will be suitably fired up for this fixture. The hosts are available at 2.962/1 on the Exchange and appear to be excellent value.

Entertaining evening expected at the Liberty

Swansea 1.9520/21 v QPR 4.47/2; The Draw 3.613/5
Tuesday, 19:00

Swansea boss Steve Cooper described Saturday's 2-2 draw with Wycombe as a "missed opportunity" and admitted that his team didn't play well enough in the first half. The Welsh side were also dealt another blow with striker Andre Ayew lasting just eight minutes. Cooper suggested that the club's top scorer will miss this midweek clash and fans will be nervously awaiting the result of his scan. With a lack of firepower holding them back this season and a potential play-off campaign in the offing, the Swans can ill afford to lose a player who has plundered 15 goals and adds some much needed experience to the squad.

With a six point gap to bridge, Swansea fans are already preparing themselves for a second successive play-off campaign, and they'll be hoping that their side will be far more streetwise this time around. After failing to score in four consecutive games, the Swans have now netted seven in their last three and have returned to form at exactly the right time.

Jamal Lowe will be a key asset during the run-in, with the former Wigan man having rediscovered his shooting boots in recent weeks. Ryan Bennett has also been excellent and Liam Cullen's return from injury is undoubtedly a positive. Some fans have questioned whether Cooper can accommodate both Connor Roberts and Conor Hourihane in the same XI, and it remains to be seen whether he opts to mix things up in midweek.

QPR are ending the season on a high, and although they currently have very little to play for, they are refusing to hit the beach just yet. Mark Warburton has stressed the importance of ending the campaign positively as he looks to build for 2021-22. Despite losing Seny Dieng to a needless red card at the weekend, they still managed to collect maximum points against Middlesbrough, a result which helped to move them above the Teessiders.

Rob Dickie has been a superb addition to the squad whilst Stefan Johansen, Lee Wallace and Lyndon Dykes were also extremely effective at the weekend. QPR's away form has been a mixed bag, but they have found the net in 12 of their last 13 matches on the road. They're in good goalscoring form, and are unlikely to sit back and take a passive approach to this game.

Swansea uncharacteristically conceded two cheap goals at the weekend, and they could be vulnerable against the in-form visitors. BTTS is available at 1.9520/21 on the Exchange and looks worth backing here.

Stoke and Coventry to serve up a dull 90 minutes

Stoke 2.186/5 v Coventry City 3.55/2; The Draw 3.1511/5
Wednesday, 19:00

Many Stoke fans took to social media on Saturday afternoon to express their disappointment at yet another goalless draw. The Potters are much harder to beat under Michael O'Neill, and they rarely concede sloppy goals, however, they aren't particularly enjoyable to watch, and this makes it difficult for supporters to enthuse about their side.

They are built on solid foundations, and tend to rely on a handful of creative players to give them a spark in the final third. However, the mid-season loss of Tyrese Campbell has hit them hard, and O'Neill still hasn't found a way to unlock his side's attacking potential in the absence of the 21-year old.

The Staffordshire side have failed to score in four of their last seven matches although they have managed to keep the opposition off the score-sheet in five of their last eight. Stoke aren't the side to follow if you're searching for entertainment and February 13th was the last time that one of their games contained 4+ goals.

Coventry picked up a huge three points on Sunday with a 2-0 victory over play-off chasing Barnsley and although this is a quick turnaround for the Sky Blues, they will see this as a huge opportunity. They have a nine point cushion on the bottom three and with games against Huddersfield, Preston and Millwall to come, they should be able to comfortably preserve their Championship status.

The visitors have been defensively resolute at St. Andrews and have conceded just 20 times in the West Midlands. However, it's been a different story on their travels and finding the back of the net has been an issue for Robins' side. They've scored just 15 times on the road, and breaking down the hosts' stubborn defence will be far from straightforward.

Coventry did keep a rare away clean sheet on Thursday at the New York Stadium and they will be buoyed by back-to-back shutouts. With both sides having been defensively adept in recent weeks, this could be a slow-burner. Neither team is free-scoring so backing BTTS? No at 1.814/5 on the Exchange may be the best option here.

You can follow Jack Critchley on Twitter @jcritch7