Ipswich vs Birmingham predictions: Tractor Boys to boost automatic promotion hopes
James Mason
Ipswich are fourth in the Championship, three points behind second-placed Millwall
Birmingham are down in 14th position, 11 points adrift of the play-offs
Recommended bet: Ipswich to win to nil
Ipswich will be looking to move into the automatic promotion places when they welcome Birmingham to Portman Road for a Championship affair on Easter Monday.
The Tractor Boys were not in action on Good Friday and they find themselves with two games in hand on most of the teams around them, meaning an instant return to the Premier League is in their hands.
With Coventry clear at the summit, there is just one more automatic place to play for and Ipswich know they have a great chance to boost their chances of finishing second, starting with a home win over struggling Birmingham.
The latest Ipswich vs Birmingham odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Team news
Ipswich duo Wes Burns and Marcelino Nunez are both touch-and-go for this contest and the pair may not be risked with a hectic fixture schedule to complete the season.
Ashley Young recently returned to training after a few weeks out with a hip problem and is in contention to be part of the matchday squad, which will see Cedric Kipre return following a two-game ban. Leif Davis is absent as he completes his suspension.
Birmingham are without both Kai Wagner and Alex Cochrane due to injuries. Head coach Chris Davies may tweak his starting XI from Friday's loss to Blackburn with the likes of Demarai Gray and Bright Osayi-Samuel all pushing for chances.
The stats
Ipswich have the second-best home record in the Championship, with their tally of 43 points bettered only by Coventry (48).
The Tractor Boys have lost just one of their 20 home games, the fewest of any team in the division.
Ipswich are on a seven-match unbeaten run, keeping clean sheets in four of those contests.
Birmingham's home loss to Blackburn on Friday was their fifth defeat in the last eight games.
Blues have lost their last three away fixtures, failing to score in all of those.
The latest Ipswich vs Birmingham odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Prediction
Birmingham's play-off hopes are all but over following Friday's loss to Blackburn and with confidence levels extremely low after a fifth defeat in eight, they could be in for a difficult afternoon at Ipswich.
The Tractor Boys have the added incentive of not playing on Good Friday, meaning they will be fresher than Blues and raring to get back into domestic action after the international break.
Boss Kieran McKenna has seen Ipswich put together a seven-match unbeaten run and if they manage to get a win on Monday, with results involving Middlesbrough and Millwall going their way, they will end the day in second place.
That is a huge incentive for a team eyeing an instant Premier League return and they look capable of claiming the spoils with a clean sheet, something they have achieved in four of their last seven outings at Portman Road.
Birmingham have also failed to score in their last three away matches, losing each contest, and this looks like a prime opportunity for Ipswich to rack up another shutout success.
Back Ipswich to win to nil at 8/5 with LiveScore Bet
The latest Ipswich vs Birmingham odds are available on LiveScore Bet
