Live on Skysports 1: Fri 19.45: William Hill make Blackpool 7/5 to beat Birmingham in the Championship play-off semi-finals.
Blackpool are third in the betting to win the play-offs at 7/2 via Stan James but with experience of gaining promotion from sixth spot and only three matches between them and the Premier League, Ian Holloway’s men won’t be reading too much into those odds. Neither will they be concerned by the fact that Birmingham are BetVictor’s 4/5 favourites to qualify from the pair’s semi-final tie while the Seasiders are 6/5 courtesy of William Hill to reach Wembley.
Holloway’s troops benefit from home advantage in the first leg and it’s therefore crucial that they come out on top, a result William Hill offer at 7/5. A draw, at 12/5 via Betfred, wouldn’t be too disastrous and as that was the outcome when the teams met at Bloomfield Road back in November, it could be a popular wager this time around.
Nevertheless, aware that a victory would move them closer to promotion, Blackpool could go for it up against potentially cautious opposition and they look decent value at 3/1 (Paddy Power) to shade the home leg by one.
Meanwhile, in a fixture that is evens at Boylesports to produce three or more goals, bet365’s 17/2 marked against a 2-1 Blackpool success isn’t without appeal and Stephen Dobbie is a tasty 15/2 with Ladbrokes to edge his side nearer to Wembley by breaking the deadlock.
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Blackpool to beat Birmingham by one – 3/1 (Paddy Power)
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