Coventry v Ipswich: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Coventry City’s Championship play-off hopes ended with Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Blackburn and they must find a way of motivating themselves for a tough game at home to third-placed Ipswich Town.

The visitors need to avoid defeat to ensure that they go into the final game of the season in the second automatic promotion spot behind Leicester City.

Coventry v Ipswich Predictions

Ipswich to win and over 2.5 goals - 7/4

Ipswich need another four points to make sure of a second successive promotion and they can secure three of them by defeating Coventry at the CBS Arena.

It is 22 years since Ipswich completed their last Premier League campaign in 2001-02.

They have been a League One side for four of the last five seasons, but have been transformed since handing an opportunity to rookie head coach Kieran McKenna in December 2021.

In his first full season at the helm, Mckenna steered the Tractor Boys to second place in League One.

Now his team are on the brink of another automatic promotion and Ipswich’s final two fixtures, away to Coventry and at home to Huddersfield, look far from daunting.

Coventry were losing play-off finalists last season and had been in contention for another extended season until losing their way over the last few weeks.

Mark Robins’ side have taken just four points from their last six Championship games and they suffered the agony of a penalty shootout loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-finals.

Reaching the FA Cup final four was a fantastic achievement, but the extra workload has probably exposed a lack of depth in the Sky Blues’ squad.

An important summer lays ahead for Coventry, who will be looking to put themselves in a better position to launch a sustained promotion challenge next term.

In the short-term they are struggling and appear to be ideal opponents for an Ipswich side desperate to snap a four-game winless streak.

Town have had a few nervy moments during the run-in, but they were more like themselves in Saturday’s 3-3 draw at Hull and a similarly dynamic performance should secure a priceless victory in the East Midlands.

Omari Hutchison to score any time - 9/4

On-loan Chelsea attacker Omari Hutchinson has been one of Ipswich’s best players in the final third of the season and looks a tempting 9/4 shot to get on the scoresheet in their penultimate game of the league campaign.

Hutchinson was snapped up by the Suffolk side on a season-long loan deal and took a while to adjust to the rigours of Championship football.

The 20-year-old started only seven of Ipswich’s first 30 league matches and took his customary position among the substitutes for a key match away to West Brom in early February.

However, he came off the bench at The Hawthorns to notch an injury-time equaliser in a 2-2 draw and has not looked back.

Hutchinson started 11 of the next 14 games and has made a huge impact, scoring six goals.

He seems to be improving with every appearance and played a starring role at the weekend with two superb long range strikes in the 3-3 draw at Hull.

The Jamaican could be a regular in the Chelsea set-up next season, but his immediate focus is on helping Ipswich to win promotion and he looks like playing a starring role over the next few days.

Bobby Thomas to be carded - 4/1

Coventry centre-back Bobby Thomas has collected six bookings over the last three months and looks a strong candidate for a caution against the Tractor Boys.

The home side are likely to be on the back foot for long periods, ensuring a busy night’s work for their back four.

There will be at least one change to the backline with Liam Kitching serving a suspension and that means added responsibility for Thomas, who is preparing to make his eighth start of a hectic month.

Thomas has been one of Coventry’s most reliable players and excelled in the weekend 0-0 draw at Blackburn when the Sky Blues had to play for over 30 minutes with 10 men.

However, the 23-year-old is likely to be feeling the effects of such a physically demanding end to the season and that could increase the possibility of him making an error of judgement.

Thomas has collected eight yellow cards in the Championship this season and looks overpriced to collect another at 4/1.

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Coventry v Ipswich odds

Coventry - 3/1
Draw - 3/1
Ipswich - 4/5

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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.