– Three of Blackburn’s last five games featured over 3.5 goals
– There have been over 2.5 goals in 18 of Coventry’s last 19 league games
– Recommended bet: Over 3.5 Goals
Coventry had little time to dwell on Sunday’s dramatic FA Cup semi-final defeat to Manchester United as they returned to Championship action with a 3-2 home loss to Hull.
A run of four defeats in five league games has effectively ended the Sky Blues’ hopes of reaching the play-offs for a second season in a row.
However, Coventry showed their attacking quality when coming from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 with United at Wembley and they look set for a lively clash with inconsistent hosts Blackburn.
Team news
Blackburn should keep faith with goalkeeper Aynsley Pears despite his own goal last weekend.
John Fleck, Ryan Leonard, Arnor Sigurdsson and Ryan Hedges are sidelined but Brighton loanee Yasin Ayari returned to action in the defeat to Sheffield Wednesday.
Coventry centre-back Luis Binks was injured against Hull on Wednesday and misses out alongside Tatsuhiro Sakamoto.
Fabio Tavares is a doubt but Callum O’Hare, Bobby Thomas and Milan van Ewijk should return to the starting line-up.
The stats
Three of Blackburn’s last five games featured over 3.5 goals.
Rovers forward Sammie Szmodics is the leading scorer in the Championship with 25 goals.
Blackburn have lost 10 of their 22 league games at Ewood Park this season.
Coventry have lost four of their last five Championship matches.
There have been over 2.5 goals in 18 of Coventry’s last 19 league games.
Coventry have been losing at half-time and full-time in each of their last three league matches
Prediction
Blackburn are still not quite out of the woods in the Championship relegation battle despite an impressive 1-0 win at promotion contenders Leeds earlier this month.
Rovers had started April with a comprehensive 5-1 victory at Sunderland but they have also lost 5-0 at Bristol City and 3-1 at home to struggling Sheffield Wednesday in recent weeks.
Blackburn forward Szmodics is on course to win the Championship Golden Boot and Coventry’s Ellis Simms and Haji Wright are also enjoying prolific campaigns.
Only one of Coventry’s last 19 league matches has rewarded backers of under 2.5 goals while their FA Cup run had been packed with goalmouth action even before the thrilling semi-final against United.
The 3-3 draw at Wembley, where the Red Devils squeezed through on penalties, took the tally in Coventry’s FA Cup games this season to 31 goals in six ties and their trip to Blackburn should be another open contest.
Rovers will want to sign off an underwhelming campaign in style in front of their own fans but their defence is hard to trust against a classy Coventry attacking unit.