Championship: Millwall vs Birmingham City verdict, predicted score, key stats and suggested bets

Championship, Tuesday, April 18, Kick-off 8pm, live on Sky Sports Main Event.

Millwall to win

Over 2.5 goals

Both teams to score: Yes

Millwall have kept one clean sheet in their last seven home matches.

Millwall are undefeated in their last eight meetings with Birmingham.

Birmingham have scored 12 goals in their last 10 away matches.

George Honeyman (hamstring) is a doubt. Murray Wallace (muscle), Callum Styles (muscle) and Charlie Cresswell (head) will be absent for Millwall.

Shaun Hutchinson will deputise for the injured Cresswell, who's formed an important partnership with Jake Cooper.

Troy Deeney (hamstring), Dion Sanderson (back), Gary Gardner (groin) and George Hall (hamstring) are all unavailable for the visitors.

Jobe Bellingham is likely to earn another start in the attacking midfield role with Lukas Jutkiewicz leading the line ahead of him.

Millwall and Birmingham doesn't sound the most glamorous of fixtures, certainly not an obvious choice for Sky Sports Main Event, but it could be an entertaining watch.

Millwall are 5th in the Championship table, three points clear of a Coventry side who have an identical goal difference. Birmingham should be safe from relegation of 50 points and currently occupy 17th.

The hosts have struggled to find their form in recent weeks, failing to win in four of their last five matches. Their 2-0 victory over Preston was a timely result in the playoff race.

Birmingham's season has been dominated by issues off the pitch, but the Blues have at least kept their heads above the water on the pitch.

Prior to their weekend defeat to Sunderland, City had embarked on an unbeaten run of four games, which included crucial 1-0 wins over Queens Park Rangers and Blackburn Rovers.

Those sort of authoritative defensive performances are something you'd more commonly associate with the hosts Millwall, as they've kept nine clean sheets at home this season, winning seven of those games.

The Lions have been extremely goal shy in recent weeks, but they have kept themselves in games by keeping three clean sheets. Despite that, you have to question if they'll make it four in six here.

The hosts were able to pick up seven wins and keep five clean sheets in their first 10 home matches of the season, whilst winning four times and conceding to four of the last five bottom-half sides to visit them.

Birmingham City are Millwall's opposite in every way. They don't have a clue how to defend away from home, but they always know where the net is. Only Watford have stopped them from scoring in their last nine away matches, in which time they've banged in 11 goals.

There are only four or five sides in the Championship that you would say have comfortably bettered Birmingham's tally of away goals, but the defence is an issue. Only five teams have let in more than City (32).

We've reached the stage of the season where teams with nothing to play for are the most dangerous, and Birmingham probably falls into that category.

Their size and strength should present a unique challenge to Millwall's defence when it comes to set pieces, and the absence of Charlie Cresswell should make things easier.

It's tough to bet against Millwall at home when so much is on the line, so you suspect they'll find a way to get a result, but not without a score or two along the way.

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