Coventry vs Derby predictions: Sky Blues to stay on track for Premier League return
Ross Kilvington
Coventry nine points clear at the top of the Championship table
Derby stand eighth after four wins from their last five
Recommended bet: Coventry to win and both teams to score
Coventry City will be looking to move closer to promotion to the Premier League with a victory at home to Derby County on Friday evening.
Not since 2001 have the Sky Blues played top-flight football, but City head coachFrank Lampard looks set to be the man that delivers promotion to the supporters.
Derby also have a chance of making a return to the top tier, although they will have to do it via the play-offs, as the Rams sit just three points adrift of sixth-placed Southampton.
The latest Coventry vs Derby odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Team news
Brandon Thomas-Asante is a doubt for the home side after he missed out on representing Ghana during the recent international break.
On a more positive note, however, Jack Rudoni and Haji Wright could be pushing to return to the squad after recent injury issues, giving Lampard some added options for the game.
Sammie Szmodics, on loan from Ipswich Town, will be absent for the visitors after he sustained a head injury while representing the Republic of Ireland during the break.
Striker Patrick Agyemang played for the United States as recently as early on Wednesday morning, so might have to be content with a place on the bench for this game.
The stats
Coventry claimed a 5-3 win when these two sides met earlier this season, but that was the first time the Sky Blues defeated the Rams since January 2022 during an FA Cup tie.
You have to go back to March 2021 for Coventry's last Championship win against Derby, however.
Since failing to win three successive league games between January 26th and February 7th, Lampard's side have lost just one of their last eight games, recording seven wins in that period.
Derby are also on an excellent run of form, winning four of their previous five league games to vault up the table.
Five of Coventry's nine Championship victories this year have featured both teams scoring.
Furthermore, the Rams have found the back of the net in four of their last five matches in the second tier. Indeed, Derby have failed to score in just two of their 16 games since the turn of the year.
The latest Coventry vs Derby odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Prediction
Coventry can almost taste Premier League football after 25 years away and this is the ultimate incentive for Lampard and his players heading into the final seven games of the campaign.
Derby will not make it easy, especially considering that they are chasing a play-off spot, but another win for the home side will pile the pressure on those below them.
Expect this game to be fairly open, with chances aplenty at both ends of the pitch, but in the end Coventry should secure the 25th league win of their season.
