Rotherham vs Birmingham predictions: Blues can spoil Evans' homecoming party

Rob Eddy

Spotlight

Gary Rowett will be hoping that Birmingham's 3-0 win over Coventry is the catalyst for their survival bid

- Rotherham have lost 13 of their last 15 matches
- The Millers have failed to score in eight of their last nine games
- Recommended bet: Birmingham Win to Zero

Rotherham's Championship game against Birmingham on Saturday seemed likely to matter only to the Blues as they continue their bid to escape relegation.

However, it has now become a more interesting game for the home club too after the already-relegated Millers sacked Leam Richardson this week, paving the way for the return of former boss Steve Evans.

Team news

Rotherham will be without Grant Hall, Tyler Blackett, Jordan Hugill and Christ Tiehi and new manager Evans may prefer to cast his eye over the players contracted to the club rather than loanees Andy Rinomhota, Charlie Wyke and Arvin Appiah.

Birmingham could field an unchanged side but Juninho Bacuna, Siriki Dembele and Jordan James are options for Gary Rowett while Marc Roberts and Oliver Burke could also be available again. However, Lukas Jutkiewicz remains sidelined by a knee injury.

The latest Rotherham vs Birmingham odds are available on LiveScore Bet

The stats

Steve Evans is back for his second spell in charge of Rotherham, who have already been relegated from the Championship

Rotherham have lost six of their last eight home matches.

All four of the Millers' league wins this season have come in front of their own fans.

Rotherham have lost without scoring in seven of their last nine league matches.

Birmingham have won two of their last four games with clean sheets.

Jay Stansfield has scored in three of the Blues' last four games.

Both teams have scored in only two of Birmingham's last eight matches.

The latest Rotherham vs Birmingham odds are available on LiveScore Bet

Prediction

Steve Evans stunningly walked out on Stevenage this week to return to Rotherham, who will also be playing in League One next season, and the experienced manager has only three games to assess his squad before having what will likely be a major clearout in the summer.

While Saturday's game is really just a fact-finding mission for Evans, his arrival could provide some extra motivation for a squad who have lacked inspiration all season and are adrift by 21 points at the bottom of the table after just four wins in 43 games.

Birmingham are only three places above the Millers and still in danger of joining them in the third tier next season, but the Blues have accumulated almost twice as many points than their hosts and should be strong enough to add three more with a much-needed away win.

The Blues have rallied just in time to give themselves a chance, winning to nil against both Preston on Easter Monday and Coventry in a major upset last week.

The Millers have lost six of their last eight home games and scored in only one of those defeats, so increasing the odds by taking Birmingham to win to nil makes sense.

Neither side scored in the teams' first meeting at St Andrew's in December but the Blues are in better shape now and won't want to throw away the good work of last week by slipping up in South Yorkshire.

They have an in-form striker with Fulham loanee Jay Stansfield having scored in three of their last four games and Birmingham should be capable of collecting three points before another massive relegation battle against Huddersfield next weekend.

Back Birmingham Win to Zero @ 13/10 with LiveScore Bet.