Saturday Championship Tips: Rams to edge past the Robins at Pride Park

Three wins on the bounce for Rooney's Rams

Derby 1.981/1 v Bristol City 4.47/2; The Draw 3.6553/20
Saturday, 15:00

Although they've won four of their last seven Championship matches, Derby still remain the second lowest scorers in the second tier. They also find themselves just a couple of points clear of the relegation zone, and with both Rotherham and Nottingham Forest starting to show signs of life, the Rams can't afford to take their foot off the gas.

The East Midlands outfit have one of the smallest squads in the division, and with the protracted take-over still yet to be completed, hopes of bolstering the squad before the end of the month are seemingly dwindling. As a result, Wayne Rooney will be forced to work with his current squad for the remainder of the campaign, and he'll be desperately hoping that influential midfielder Krystian Bielik can stay fit over the coming months. The former Arsenal midfielder has been a revelation since his return from injury, and his innate ability to read the game, and to stop opposition attacks at source, has enabled them to keep multiple clean sheets throughout December and January.

He's featured 11 times since the beginning of last month and Derby have conceded just four times since the Polish maestro returned to the side. Although Jason Knight has been handed the captain's armband, it's Beilik's influence in the centre of the park which has had a transformative effect on this previously underperforming outfit.

Goals have been a major problem for the hosts, and their lack of firepower remains a cause for concern. However, just a single goal has been enough in each of their last two outings. Entertainment has been in short supply recently, with just one of their last 12 games featuring more than two goals, and they will be looking to keep it tight once more.

Bristol City were victorious at the weekend, edging past an unpredictable Huddersfield outfit. Reports suggested that Dean Holden's side were far from convincing, and match-winner Famara Diedhiou could easily have seen red prior to firing his side in front. Despite the Terriers plundering 26 efforts on goal and rattling the woodwork on four occasions, the hosts still somwehow managed to leave with all three points.

The Robins have kept just a single clean sheet in their last eight, and their poor away from continues to hold them back. At Ashton Gate, they've won four of their last five, however, on the road, they've picked up just a single victory since the beginning of November. Slow starts have also proved problematic in recent weeks, and they've conceded in the first half of each of their last five away outings.

With Holden's men struggling to keep the opposition off the score-sheet, this could easily favour Derby County's defensively-minded approach. Bristol City may have used up a huge chunk of their luck on Tuesday evening, and they could slip to a fifth consecutive away defeat here. The hosts can be backed at 1.981/1 on the Exchange, and they look highly likely to give their survival hopes a significant boost on Saturday afternoon.

Birmingham and Coventry to share the points at St. Andrews

Birmingham 2.8815/8 v Coventry City 2.8615/8; The Draw 3.211/5
Saturday, 15:00

Birmingham's home woes continued last weekend with Aitor Karanka's side slipping to yet another tame defeat at St. Andrews. Fans were left extremely frustrated at their side's inability to build upon an unlikely success at the Riverside Stadium just four days earlier, and with a 2-2-9 home record this season, it's probably a good job that supporters aren't currently able to attend matches.

Karanka has been accused of being overly defensive this season, yet his side are still failing to keep clean sheets, and have managed just two shutouts in their last nine outings.

At the other end of the field, the Blues will be hoping that Scott Hogan is able to shake off a hamstring injury which was picked up against Preston. Although the striker has been far from prolific this season, he did score the winner against Middlesbrough a fortnight ago, and has looked much sharper in recent weeks.

Brum are just three points clear of the relegation zone, and with Derby, Nottingham Forest and Rotherham all starting to pick up points, the hosts simply must take something from this encounter.

Although Coventry sit just three points above today's opponents, Mark Robins' side appear to be in far better shape coming into this fixture. The Sky Blues kept yet another clean sheet in midweek as they eased past struggling Sheffield Wednesday, and they have now lost just three of their last 14 fixtures.

Their record on the road is poor, however, this is essentially a home fixture for Robins' men, and they'll fancy their chances of taking something from this encounter. Despite this, they've failed to find the net in five of their last seven Championship fixtures, and there may not be much between these two struggling sides.

Coventry have plenty of talent in their ranks with Callum O'Hare putting in a terrific performance on Wednesday night. Brighton loanee Viktor Gyokeres also got off the mark in midweek, and he will be looking to put a frustrating loan spell in South Wales firmly behind him. Matty James and Gustavo Hamer could also help them dominate the midfield here.

The odds suggest there is unlikely to be much between these two foes, and accumulatively, they've drawn 16 times already this season. With Birmingham having yet to beat any of their fellow bottom ten sides this campaign, Coventry could easily nick this. However, backing the draw appears to be the most sensible option at 3.211/5.

Rotherham to breach Swansea's rearguard

Rotherham 3.55/2 v Swansea 2.3611/8; The Draw 3.259/4
Saturday, 15:00

Rotherham gave their survival hopes a sizeable boost with a thumping 3-0 victory at the Riverside Stadium on Wednesday night. The Millers have been gathering momentum over the last few weeks, and they are slowly beginning to haul themselves away from danger. Manager Paul Warne believes that his side are in a false position, and with two games in hand on their nearest rivals, the South Yorkshire club's prospects of avoiding the drop look fairly healthy.

Michael Smith is currently undergoing a remarkable resurgence with the striker having notched five times since mid-December, and he appears to have regained his confidence in front of goal. Matt Crooks has also been a shining light in recent weeks, whilst Richard Wood and Michael Ihiekwe have established a formidable partnership at the back.

Warne has been increasingly bullish in his post-match analysis, and the former physio finally appears to be coming round to the idea that his side belong at this level.

The Millers will be hoping to continue their excellent run of form this week, although they face a tough task against in-form Swansea on Saturday afternoon.

The Welshmen picked up a point against Brentford on Wednesday night, although they were second best throughout the 90 minutes. They weren't helped by Kyle Naughton's dismissal, although the performance of recent signing Connor Hourihane will have undoubtedly pleased Swans fans.

Steve Cooper's side are extremely well-organised, and incredibly tough to beat. They've lost just twice since the beginning of November, and have conceded just seven times in their last 14 matches. Their record against bottom half teams is exceptional, and they've won six of their eight away trips to sides who are currently situated in the lower half of the table.

Swansea's defensive prowess should be enough to get them over the line here, however, Rotherham's confidence in front of goal could see them find a way past this resolute back-line. The Millers netted three times against Stoke at this ground recently, and they've only failed to score on three occasions. They found a way past leaders Norwich, and notched twice against an obstinate Bournemouth side at the end of November.

With six goals in their last three home matches, they should be able to find a way past Cooper's men. At 1.991/1 on the Exchange, BTTS looks like the best option in this fascinating match-up.

You can follow Jack Critchley on Twitter @jcritch7