Cardiff City vs Sunderland: Betting Odds & Prediction
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Cardiff City host fellow mid-table side Sunderland on Friday afternoon as both clubs look to propel themselves further up the Sky Bet Championship table.
Kick-off is set for 3pm UK time at the Cardiff City Stadium.
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Cardiff City
Erol Bulut's side find themselves in eleventh position heading into the match but are now eight points away from the play-off places. South Wales rivals Swansea City landed a crushing blow with a 2-0 home victory last time out, ending the Bluebirds' five match unbeaten streak.
Nevertheless, Cardiff return to the Cardiff City Stadium this weekend on the back of three consecutive home victories. The three wins - coming against Ipswich Town, Huddersfield Town and Stoke City - saw them score five goals while conceding three.
Overall, Cardiff have scored 23 goals at home (averaging 1.21 per game) and conceded 22 (1.16 per game. They've kept clean sheets in 32% of their home matches, but have also failed to score in 32%.
Their home form has been better than their form on the road, though; Cardiff have averaged 1.58 points per game (PPG) on home soil, compared to only 1.21 in away games.
Matches at the Cardiff City Stadium have averaged 2.37 goals per game this campaign.
Sunderland
The away side come into the match one position below Cardiff in twelfth, knowing a win will see them climb above their opponents on Friday. Last time out, Sunderland drew 0-0 at home to QPR. The Black Cats are now without a win in seven league matches.
Their away form has been dismal this season; Sunderland have won just four of their 19 away outings, while recording five draws and ten losses. The run has left them with an average of 0.89 PPG on the road.
Sunderland have netted 19 while conceding 23 on their travels so far. They've also failed to score in 37% of matches on the road, conceding at least two goals in 32%.
Prediction
The Swansea defeat no doubt dented Cardiff's play-off ambitions, but the Bluebirds' form heading into the fixture cannot be ignored. They are also in fine form on home soil having won their last three matches.
The same cannot be said of Sunderland, who haven't picked up a league win since February 10th. The Black Cats haven't secured three points away from home this calendar year, and have made habit of conceding on the road all the while struggling to find the net themselves.
With all this in mind, Cardiff remain the smart pick heading into the weekend, with the home side coming in surprisingly wide on the moneyline.