Birmingham City V Everton Betting: Saturday, 13th March

Birmingham City V Everton

Saturday, 13^th March – 15:00 GMT

Birmingham City

League Position: 8th

Recent Form: WLLWW

After misery in the FA Cup, Birmingham made amends with victory in midweek, ironically over the very same opponent that inflicted defeat on them at the weekend in Portsmouth. Their 2-1 win at Fratton Park did go some way to forgetting Saturday’s miserable day out in the cup and those three points have helped the team cement their place in the upper tier of the Premier League table, although Alex McLeish just might have one eye on a European finish at this rate, with Birmingham just four points behind Aston Villa in 9^th position.

Birmingham didn’t half need that victory in midweek after three disappointing defeats in a row, with the latter, defeat in the FA Cup, being the one that hurt the most. However, the players displayed no signs of an FA Cup hangover as they got straight down to business at Fratton Park on Tuesday, sprinting into a 2-0 lead before Portsmouth gave them a brief scare right at the end. Birmingham’s reliance shone through once again as that vital victory ended a rut of consecutive defeats in the league, three in all competitions.

Form is crucial in this business and Birmingham must start almost from scratch as they aim to build up some steam ahead of some difficult upcoming fixtures. Moreover, this will be their last chance to earn some valuable points at home for quite some time as their following two league games are both away from home, while their next two home fixtures are dates with Liverpool and Arsenal, so this fixture with Everton, although tougher than most fixtures they will contest this season, takes on more significance as points could be few and far between for Birmingham in the near future. 

Fortunately for Birmingham, their form at home is very strong, with only two sides beating them at home all season; Aston Villa and Bolton, Both of which were very early on into the season, with Birmingham having not lost a home fixture since October, nearly going a staggering five months without losing at St. Andrews, ten home games in fact. That’s a formidable statistic for a club which only recently rejoined the Premiership and it’s one that merits a whole heap of respect, both from us and their match day opponents.

Interesting Fact: All of Birmingham’s seven wins at home this season have been by a one goal margin, while the same can be said for their five wins away from home meaning Birmingham have won twelve games this season by a single goal… amazing stuff!

Everton

League Position: 9th

Recent Form: WLWWL

Everton are in unfamiliar terrain this week as usually, what with it being European week, they would usually play their fixtures on a Sunday. However, their defeat in the last-sixteen stage of the Europa League means Everton are no longer involved in European action, which will be viewed as a double edged sword as while the fans have no more exciting ties abroad to look forward to, it does allow David Moyes to concentrate on just the league and ensuring the club at least finish in the European spot once again, although the Toffees do have their work cut out as they currently trail seven spot by four points.

The objective for the remainder of the season is pretty simple, win as many games as possible. After a heart-wrenching defeat away at Tottenham a fortnight ago, some were beginning to think that was it as far as Everton challenging for a European finish. How they were proved wrong when Everton smashed five past Hull City, a hapless Hull it must be said, in what was the clubs biggest win of the season and at a much needed time. Those five goals scored by Everton were their first five goal haul of the season, with Everton in fact failing to surpass the three goal marker before their emphatic victory over Hull at the weekend. 

While the manner in which they won was impressive, the amount of goals won’t significantly boost the morale at the club as Everton haven’t been shy in front of goal recently. In their last fourteen league games only once have Everton not managed to find the opposing goal, with that rarity coming away at Liverpool. They’ve been especially clinical at Goodison Park of late, having scored at least two goals in each of their last six, but away from home has been a different story with Everton’s only two goal goal in their previous three away encounters coming at Arsenal of all places.

Everton aren’t the same side when on their travels and this was especially the case at White Hart Lane in their last outing when losing 2-1 to Tottenham. The Toffees made a sluggish start that day and it took a good half-time rant from David Moyes before the Everton players finally woke up and realised they were in a tough game. They were much better in the second period, but by then it was too late and David Moyes must somehow conjure up a better start from his players if they are to fare a whole lot better in their very next away outing, one just as tough as their last.

Match Verdict: Draw – 3.40 SkyBet

I think this game could genuinely finish in a stalemate between two sides whom, when they get their tactics and deployment spot on, aren’t too dissimilar in how they set up and go about their business. Everton have the cutting edge up front, whilst the return of Mikel Arteta had added some spark into their forward play which should enable them to score plenty more goals in the remainder of the season. Birmingham, though are a stubborn sort and won’t look to give an ounce of space away, nor will they allow the Everton creators to settle on the ball, so this could be a tetchy affair at St. Andrews. A 1-1 scoreline stands out for me, while the odds on this ending in a draw look even more luring.

Match Odds:

Birmingham City – 3.00 VCbet

Draw – 3.40 SkyBet

Everton – 2.60 Boylesports

SoccerBetting Value Pick: 1-1 Correct Score – 6/1 SkyBet