Rotherham v Ipswich: Tractor Boys backed for top honours

• Rotherham suffering key defensive injuries

• Rampant Ipswich are W9-D1-L1 since promotion

• Town tend to keep things tight on their travels

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Rotherham 6.6011/2 players were given a full week off during the international break before returning to their Roundwood base to begin preparations for Friday's visit of high-flying Ipswich.

Head coach Matt Taylor was eager to reward his squad for their efforts in surviving a Southampton onslaught in their final outing before the international break.

The Millers picked up their first away point of the campaign during a one-sided 1-1 draw at St Mary's. Saints had destroyed Rotherham in the first half but the visitors changed formation after half an hour and managed to gain a foothold in the contest; a superb 74th-minute opportunist volley from Jordan Hugill pinching a point for United.

Back on home soil, the Millers will be confident of another competitive effort. However, Taylor admitted, "It's been a brutal start" in terms of injuries with his squad "battered, bruised; broken in some places". The hosts will be particularly weak at centre-half.

The loss of regular centre-back pairing Cameron Humphreys and Tyler Blackett until January at the earliest has proven problematic.

Their likely replacements, Grant Hall and Lee Peltier, are proven second-tier performers but have featured only twice and four times respectively because of their own injury issues with doubts persisting over their ongoing condition.

Ipswich 1.538/15 kept up the pressure on Leicester at the top of the Championship table as they extended their unbeaten run to seven matches with victory over Preston before the international break.

Prolific Conor Chaplin was joined on the scoresheet by Brandon Williams, Nathan Broadhead and Kayden Jackson in an impressive 4-2 victory.

Town head coach Kieran McKenna was understandably pleased with the outcome but believes there's still more to come from the Tracor Boys. McKenna said, "The performance wasn't perfect, there's things we can improve but it was the last game of a really busy spell, the seventh in 21 days, so it's probably not going to be perfect at that stage."

McKenna also reiterated his desire to play front-foot football, to excite and entertain the Ipswich faithful, although the visiting boss may have to do without Wes Burns this weekend after the forward was injured on international duty with Wales.

There are no other major absentees for Town, who are chasing a 10^th league success in 12 since promotion.

Town to prove too strong

Rotherham are chunky outsiders on Friday with the Millers' poor performance data ranking Matt Taylor's men rock-bottom in the division. The South Yorkshire side are boasting just a 24% Expected Goals (xG) ratio after 11 rounds of action, with the hosts simultaneously creating the fewest goalscoring opportunities and conceding the most thus far.

In contrast, Ipswich are rated as a top-three team - no second-tier side is averaging more than Town's impressive 1.82 xG average per-game.

Meanwhile, the Tractor Boys have already recorded three clean sheets on their travels, shipping just two goals in five games as guests, turning over struggling Sheffield Wednesday and QPR on the road.

With Rotherham having W1-D2-L2 in their opening five New York Stadium showdowns, suffering narrow home losses to both Leicester and Bristol City, a repeat could well be in the offing, especially with the hosts suffering with so many key defensive injuries.

With that in-mind, I'm happy to support 13/102.30.%20%20This%20wager%20has%20already%20paid%20out%20in%20four%20of%20Ipswich's%20five%20road%20trips%20this%20term.">Ipswich to win and Under 3.5 Goals at 13/102.30.

This wager has already paid out in four of Ipswich's five road trips this term.