Match Preview: Reading 2-3 Bristol City Prediction and Betting Tips | Championship

Reading – Bristol City Prediction Prediction and Tips for today, August 17, 2021

Reading – Bristol City Match Preview

• Reading finally got their first points on the board at the weekend, with a 2-1 home win over Preston that marked their first win since April. As such, this is their chance to open this Championship home campaign with two straight wins, and do so in successive second-tier terms for the first time in their entire 150-year history.
• Indeed, the ‘Royals’ opened 2020/21 with four straight home league wins, but reality soon bit, and they are now without a clean sheet in six Championship home games. However, they are unbeaten in eight home league outings (W4, D4). All four victories in that sequence saw them win the first half 1-0, while three of the draws witnessed Reading score the last goal.
• Bristol City are already on their longest win drought since their 2014/15 return to the Championship (D4, L8), with that run elongated by Saturday’s defeat to Middlesbrough. Any win here might be delayed, as Bristol can boast a HT clean sheet (all via 0-0 scorelines) in three of their last four league visits to the Madejski Stadium.
• Meanwhile, the Robins’ recent defeat on Teesside also made it an appalling 80% loss rate from the last 20 Championship matches in which they trailed at HT (W1, D3, L16). Additionally, Nigel Pearson’s men have conceded 2.75 goals per game on average across four away league defeats suffered since the start of April.
• Players to watch: John Swift netted a 69th-minute winner for Reading against Preston at the weekend, ensuring that each of his last five goals have come during matches producing over 2.5 goals. Meanwhile, Bristol’s opening-day scorer Chris Martin has seen each of his last two goals against Reading act as game closers in matches producing over 4.5 goals!
• Hot stat: Six of Reading’s last seven home league goals conceded have arrived beyond the hour mark.