Football Park's Best Bets | Leicester vs Birmingham Bet Builder

Football Park's Best Bets | Leicester vs Birmingham Bet Builder

Two of the Championship's promotion favourites clash at the King Power on Friday night as League One winners Birmingham visits a Leicester City side relegated from the Premier League last season. Both teams have found their feet quickly back at this level with the hosts winning two of their first three league matches, while Birmingham remain unbeaten.

Both teams are stacked with attacking talent which makes this game particuarly appealing for a potential bet builder (or two).

Match Preview

Leicester City and Birmingham City arrive at Friday’s Midlands clash with contrasting stories but the same ambition, momentum in the Championship promotion race.

Birmingham: Unbeaten and Confident

Back in the second tier after storming to the League One title, Birmingham have carried their winning mentality into the new season. A draw with Ipswich set the tone before sharp victories over Blackburn and Oxford pushed them into the early playoff picture. Paik Seung-ho’s strike at the weekend made it back-to-back league wins, extending their unbeaten start.

Their only blemish came in Tuesday’s EFL Cup defeat to Port Vale, when a much-changed side failed to keep the run going. Even so, John Eustace’s men know that victory at the King Power would send them temporarily top of the Championship, a powerful incentive as they continue to prove they belong at this level.

Leicester: Searching for Rhythm

For Leicester, the early weeks under new head coach Marti Cifuentes have been a mixed bag. An opening win over Sheffield Wednesday was followed by setbacks against Preston and Huddersfield, but the Foxes steadied themselves last time out with a narrow win at Charlton thanks to Abdul Fatawu’s goal.

The Foxes have history firmly on their side in this fixture. They have beaten Birmingham six times in a row and are unbeaten in the last nine head-to-head encounters. That dominance will be a source of confidence, but Cifuentes is still working around selection problems, with Victor Kristiansen, Harry Souttar and Bobby De Cordova-Reid all unavailable. Stephy Mavididi is also a doubt, while speculation over Bilal El Khannouss continues to swirl after his failed move to Crystal Palace.

Key Battles and Selection Notes

Birmingham will likely restore their strongest XI after midweek rotation, with Kanya Fujimoto and Marvin Ducksch pushing for minutes after returning from injury. Long-term absentee Scott Wright remains sidelined, while Jay Stansfield limped off in the midweek EFL Cup tie and is now a major doubt for Friday.

Leicester will hope Fatawu can continue his decisive form, but squad depth will be tested until injuries ease.

The Verdict

Leicester’s superiority in this fixture is undeniable, but Birmingham look far tougher to beat than in recent years. The Blues’ resilience, combined with Leicester’s stop-start form, hints that this contest may not follow the usual script.

Prediction: Expect a tight, hard-fought battle, one that could end with the points shared.

The Build

With all of that in mind, here is a potential bet builder to keep in mind for Friday's game.

• Match Result: Draw
• BTTS: Yes
• Demari Gray to score or assist
• Combined Odds: 17.63

As outlined in the preview, we're expecting a tight match between these two heavyweights so the draw makes appeal. Both teams have scored at least once in all their league matches this season with both teams scoring in three of Birmingham's four league matches to date. Demari Gray, a Premier League winnere with the Foxes now returns in the Blue of Birmingham City after spending last season in the Saudi Pro League. Gray has notched two assists in his first four games for the Brummies and will be keen to get one over his former side here.