Birmingham City v Newcastle United: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Birmingham City are flying high at the top of League One and they host in-form Newcastle United in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday.

Birmingham City v Newcastle United betting tips and predictions

Newcastle United to win and under 3.5 goals - 6/4

Newcastle have not won a major domestic trophy since lifting the FA Cup in 1955 but Eddie Howe's Magpies are hoping to end that long wait this season.

They will face Liverpool in the EFL Cup final after sealing an impressive 4-0 aggregate victory over Arsenal in Wednesday's semi-final second leg.

Newcastle won 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium last month before repeating that scoreline against the Gunners at St James' Park and another low-scoring victory could be on the cards in the FA Cup.

Howe is likely to make changes to the team that started their midweek clash with Arsenal but he will be wary of the threat posed by fourth-round hosts Birmingham City.

Blues were hot favourites in the ante-post League One title betting and they look poised for a swift return to the Championship after an impressive campaign under manager Chris Davies.

Birmingham are unbeaten in their last 13 league fixtures, winning 10 of them, and they have conceded only 19 goals in 27 matches in the third division this term.

They rarely hammer opponents in League One, however, and only one of their last 17 outings produced over 3.5 goals.

Like Newcastle, Birmingham have already enjoyed knockout success this week, winning 1-0 at Stevenage in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday.

They had to wait until the 83rd minute to break the deadlock through top goalscorer Jay Stansfield and three of their last four wins in all competitions were by a 1-0 scoreline.

That suggests they may struggle to break down Newcastle's defence so backing the Magpies to win a game featuring under 3.5 goals looks a good bet.

Wednesday's second leg against Arsenal was a physically and emotionally draining night so Newcastle may not be at their sharpest at St Andrew's.

But this fixture is a huge step up for Birmingham, who beat Sutton 1-0, Blackpool 2-1 and Lincoln 2-1 in the first three rounds of the FA Cup, and they lack the attacking firepower to spoil the Toon Army's party mood. 

Jay Stansfield to have under 2.5 shots - 8/11

Birmingham smashed the League One transfer record to sign Fulham forward Stansfield last summer in a deal worth more than £15m.

Stansfield has repaid their faith with 14 goals in 19 starts for the league leaders and he came off the bench to score the only goal of the game at Stevenage in the EFL Trophy this week.

He is unlikely to get much change out of Newcastle's defence, however, and backing him to have under 2.5 shots on Saturday could prove profitable.

Stansfield racked up six attempts at goal, scoring twice, in Birmingham's last home fixture against Rotherham but his previous seven league appearances yielded only 10 shots.

Arsenal had 68 per cent of possession against Newcastle on Wednesday night but mustered only 11 shots, so chances may be at a premium for Birmingham's frontman. 

One or both teams not to receive a card - 5/2

Birmingham City have been shown only 45 yellow cards and one red in 27 League One matches this season and Blues boss Davies will demand a disciplined display from his players on Saturday.

Last month's trip to promotion rivals Wrexham produced only one booking, for home midfielder Oliver Rathbone, so backing one or both teams not to receive a card appeals on Saturday.

There was not a single caution in Newcastle's 3-1 win over League Two side Bromley in the third round of the cup and their last away fixture, another 3-1 victory at the Premier League's bottom club Southampton, featured only one booking.  

Read more football betting tips and predictions on site

Birmingham City v Newcastle United odds

Birmingham City - 19/4
Draw - 4/1
Newcastle United - 9/20

View the full market and more odds for Birmingham City v Newcastle United on site

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.