Saturday Championship Tips: Potters to leave Ewood Park with at least a point

Stoke's defensive prowess on the road to continue

Blackburn 2.186/5 v Stoke 4.03/1; The Draw 3.3512/5
Saturday, 15:00

Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray has admitted that he's worried about the repercussions of a congested fixture list, and although the plan was to rest both Adam Armstrong and Harvey Elliott against Doncaster in the FA Cup last weekend, the talented pair ended up coming off the bench to feature in the second half. With Armstrong having been strongly linked to West Ham this week, Mowbray will be hoping that the potent striker is fully focused ahead of this tie. Although the return of Bradley Dack and imminent arrival of Jarrad Branthwaite should help ease Mowbray's selections issues, the affable Teessider may still have to juggle his squad accordingly.

Against Birmingham a fortnight ago, Blackburn deployed both Amari Bell and Bradley Johnson out of position, and the host's defence may have a makeshift feel about it once again this weekend.

Rovers have been the most entertaining side in the second tier this season, with only high-flying Bournemouth able to match their total of 38 goals scored. An xG of 1.90 also suggests that despite the innumerable changes to their XI, they are still creating high quality chances.

Although they've scored in each of their last six matches here, they haven't been able to keep a home clean sheet since the beginning of November, and have won just two of their last seven Championship fixtures overall. Blackburn are undoubtedly a good side, but they have become a little inconsistent, and this may be a game too far for their stretched squad. Saturday's loss to League One opposition was disappointing, however, Mowbray will have been far more concerned by his side's lack of verve and energy in the final third.

Stoke's recent form has seen them climb up to eighth in the table, and Michael O'Neill's side remain incredibly tough to beat. They have conceded just a single goal from open play in their last ten Championship outings, and have kept clean sheets in nine of their last 11 away games, including each of their last six.

Since the loss of Tyrese Campbell, the Potters have struggled in the final third, netting just four times in their last six away games. They've also scored just two in their last four, although O'Neill has moved quickly to address this problem by dipping into the transfer market. Schalke winger Rabbie Matondo and Sheffield United loanee Rhys Norrington-Davies should add plenty of width, whilst Jack Clarke and Alfie Doughty are both expected to join the club in the coming days.

O'Neill's sides are always incredibly tough to break down, and they are also perfectly comfortable holding onto a single goal lead. If they get their noses in front this weekend, they are likely to take all three points back to Staffordshire. Blackburn have taken just five points from a possible 30 against sides in the top ten, and they could struggle once again on Saturday afternoon.

Stoke can be backed at 8/5 Draw No Bet on the Sportsbook and having suffered just three losses since the beginning of November, they will be expected to take something from this encounter.

Points shared at the City Ground

Nottingham Forest 2.466/4 v Millwall 3.4549/20; The Draw 3.052/1
Saturday, 15:00

It's taken almost three months for Chris Hughton to get to grips with the size of the task at the City Ground, however, there have been plenty of positive signs lately, and Nottingham Forest come into this fixture five unbeaten. Since suffering a 3-1 defeat to Brentford on December 12th, the Tricky Trees have been defensively sound, and they've conceded just twice in their last five outings.

Despite their bloated squad, Forest are still expected to dip into the transfer market, with a striker likely to be deemed a priority. The hosts haven't scored more than two goals in a match at home this season, and have drawn blanks in three of their last five here. Last weekend's narrow FA Cup victory over Cardiff was another big step forward, and they are likely to be incredibly tough to beat during the second half of the campaign.

Hughton's men also possess a decent record against bottom half opposition this season, and are unbeaten when hosting bottom nine sides at this ground. Only four sides have left the East Midlands with maximum points so far this year, including automatic promotion hopefuls Brentford and Swansea, and they won't make this easy for the Lions.

Cyrus Christie has looked far more productive in recent weeks, whilst Anthony Knockaert appears to have finally settled in. Ryan Yates, who has been much-maligned by some sections of supporters this season, has also looked far more effective in recent weeks, and was one of the standout performers against Preston.

Millwall picked up a notable result in midweek as they held high-flying Bournemouth to a 1-1 draw. The Lions are finding victories hard to come by, however, they have lost just two of their last six Championship games, and have become particularly tough to beat on their travels. They are the division's draw specialists with 50% of their matches ending in a stalemate this season.

Gary Rowett has been starting to feel the pressure in recent weeks, however, the former Birmingham boss will be buoyed by his side's straightforward victory in the FA Cup last weekend. The Lions' issues have largely been in the final third, and they've only scored more than a single goal in a Championship match once since the end of October. They've averaged just 0.86 goals per game so far this campaign, and reinforcements in the final third will be required over the coming weeks.

This is unlikely to be the neutrals choice this weekend, and there is probably won't be too many goals by the Trent on Saturday afternoon. Both sides are hard to beat, so backing the draw on the Exchange at 3.052/1 appears to be the logical selection.

Entertaining afternoon expected in the Welsh capital

Cardiff 3.211/5 v Norwich 2.3811/8; The Draw 3.5551/20
Saturday, 15:00

Following Neil Harris' claim that he was fighting to save his job, Cardiff City responded by winning five of their next six games. This run of form helped the Bluebirds to reignite their play-off hopes, and although some fans have complained about the style of football served up by the former Millwall gaffer, they do tend to score plenty of goals at this ground.

Even accounting for their 2-0 loss to neighbours Swansea City, the hosts have netted 12 times in their last five games here, although they've also conceded seven in their last three. Cardiff's home matches have averaged 2.91 goals per game this season, and they have plenty of players who are capable in the final third. Robert Glatzel is an excellent all-round striker, although he will be looking to improve his output during the second half of the season. Sheyi Ojo has found his feet at this level, whilst Harry Wilson has plenty of class. Midfielder Will Vaulks is also starting to fulfil his potential, and was the star of the show against Brentford on Boxing Day.

They are yet to keep a clean sheet when hosting top six sides at this ground, and they look vulnerable against the division's more free-scoring outfits.

Norwich will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of their fellow promotion hopefuls and leave the Cardiff City Stadium with maximum points this weekend. The Canaries' away form has been a complete mixed bag, although they've netted in nine of their 11 games on the road this season. Their 1-0 defeat to Watford was bitterly disappointing, however, they created enough chances to win the game, firing in 16 shots across the 90 minutes.

Their away matches are averaging 2.55 goals per game, and an xG of 1.75 suggests that they are currently creating enough opportunities to get on the scoresheet.

There were just two goals when these sides met at Carrow Road earlier in the campaign, however, I'm expecting a far more entertaining end-to-end clash this weekend. Cardiff are struggling to keep top class opposition off the score-sheet, and Norwich certainly have the tools to find a way past Alex Smithies. Over 2.5 Goals is available at 1.8910/11 on the Exchange and should be seriously considered.

You can follow Jack Critchley on Twitter @jcritch7