Birmingham City were seconds away from winning on matchday one of the Championship season, only to be denied an opening-night victory when Ipswich Town scored a penalty.
Will the Blues come out on top at Ewood Park this weekend, or will Blackburn Rovers upset the odds to beat the League One champions on home turf? Here is what to expect.
- Birmingham to win – 13/10 with Ladbrokes
- Birmingham over 1.5 goals – 6/4 with Betfred
- Jay Stansfield to score any time – 17/10 with Midnite
Blackburn Rovers vs Birmingham City odds
Find the latest Blackburn Rovers vs Birmingham City betting odds here. All odds are provided by our recommended football bookmakers and are subject to change.
Stay in-play between matches with bet365’s live casino!
Blackburn Rovers vs Birmingham City predictions
It was almost a perfect start to life back in the Championship for Birmingham City last Friday.
Jay Stansfield gave the Blues the lead over Ipswich Town in the 55th minute and it looked like Chris Davies’s side would hold on for all three points.
However, Ipswich were awarded a penalty deep into second-half stoppage time and George Hirst made no mistake from 12 yards.
It was a disappointing outcome for Birmingham, who had not conceded a single shot on target until Hirst converted his spot-kick.
In the grand scheme of things, though, there were more positives than negatives to take from their performance.
Birmingham were the better team against opponents that were two divisions higher than them a few months ago. On the evidence of the opening weekend, Davies’s team are more than capable of competing at this level.
Birmingham built on that 1-1 draw with Ipswich by beating Sheffield United 2-1 in the first round of the EFL Cup on Wednesday. They will face Port Vale in the next round.
Overall it has been a decent start to 2025/26 for a side that won League One at a canter last term, but Birmingham will not be content unless they pick up a first win in the Championship this weekend.
Blackburn Rovers will be out to stop them on Saturday. The Lancastrians only just missed out on the play-offs last season, finishing seventh, but they will struggle to get as close to the top six this time around.
There has not been as much investment in the squad as manager Valerien Ismael would have liked, while several experienced Championship players have departed the club in this transfer window.
Blackburn have had a poor start. They lost 1-0 to West Bromwich Albion on matchday one, before suffering a 2-1 home defeat by League One outfit Bradford City in the first round of the EFL Cup.
That match was particularly concerning for Blackburn fans, who watched Bradford storm into a 2-0 lead inside four minutes at Ewood Park.
“I think we lost the game in the first five minutes, it is clear, two big mistakes, not concentrated,” Ismael said afterwards.
“The individual mistakes are part of the game, there is no training session against avoiding mistakes. But as I say, it is frustrating because you cannot build the momentum. You have to deal with the situation.”
Blackburn Rovers vs Birmingham City betting tips
Blackburn Rovers will be looking to cause a minor upset against Birmingham City this weekend.
Birmingham to win
Blackburn are not in a great place right now and things could get worse before the end of the window, with the likes of Lewis Travis, Sondre Tronstad and Dominic Hyam continuing to be linked with moves away.
Rovers have got worse since their seventh-place finish last term, and while they may ultimately come good this season, it is going to take Ismael some time to fit this much-changed team together.
Birmingham, on the other hand, are moving in the right direction. There is a real momentum behind the club following their romp to the League One title in 2024/25.
The Blues should prove too strong for Blackburn, who are facing up to the prospect of a third consecutive defeat this weekend.
Go for a Birmingham win at 13/10 with Ladbrokes
Birmingham over 1.5 goals
Birmingham notched 84 goals in League One last season and they should score plenty in the Championship too.
The Blues have bolstered their attack with the acquisitions of Demarai Gray, Marvin Ducksch and Kyogo Furuhashi this summer.
Birmingham created an abundance of chances against Sheffield United in midweek, landing 20 shots on the opposition goal and racking up an xG of 3.13.
Blackburn have looked defensively shaky so far this season and their backline will be severely tested by Birmingham’s bright frontline.
Davies’s team can score at least twice at Ewood Park.
Select Birmingham to score over 1.5 goals at 6/4 with Betfred
Jay Stansfield to score any time
Stansfield was on target against Ipswich on matchday one of the Championship season, and he then scored the winner as Birmingham beat Sheffield United in the EFL Cup.
Stansfield did not start on Wednesday night, instead entering the fray in the 57th minute.
There is little doubt that the former Fulham man will be back in the starting XI for the trip to Blackburn this weekend.
Davies used him as a No.10 against Ipswich and he will probably be deployed in the same role here.
Stansfield is an excellent player and he will be a major threat to Blackburn’s defence in this game. Do not be surprised if he finds the back of the net for a third game on the bounce.
Choose Jay Stansfield to score any time at 17/10 with Midnite
Blackburn Rovers vs Birmingham City predicted lineups
- Blackburn Rovers expected lineup: Toth; Alebiosu, Hyam, McLoughlin, Ribeiro; Tavares, Tronstad; Hedges, Henriksson, De Neves; Ohashi
- Birmingham City expected lineup: Allsop; Osayi-Samuel, Neumann, Klarer, Cochrane; Iwata, Paik; Gray, Stansfield, Anderson; Furuhashi
Where to watch Blackburn Rovers vs Birmingham City
- Location: Ewood Park, Blackburn, England.
- Date and time: Saturday 16th August, 3pm.
- How to watch: Not being shown live in the UK.
More Championship predictions
Discover a wide range of additional Championship predictions on our website, featuring the newest betting tips from expert bettors in our match preview guide.
About the author
Greg Lea
Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.
Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
- GambleAware – www.gambleaware.org
Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.