Match Preview: Bournemouth 3-0 Cardiff Prediction and Betting Tips | Championship

Bournemouth – Cardiff Prediction Prediction and Tips for today, December 30, 2021

Football: ENGLAND: Championship – Round 25
Kick-off: 20:45 Bournemouth – Cardiff
Tip: Under 3.5 Goals
Odds: 1.33
Bookmaker: Bet365
Match Result: 3:0 WON!!!

Bournemouth – Cardiff Match Preview

• After beating QPR 1-0 last time out, Bournemouth now have the opportunity to start 2022 four points clear at the Championship summit, but only if they can repeat September’s reverse fixture (W 1-0) and beat Cardiff City again. Their recent win over QPR will have eased Bournemouth nerves after a poor six-game run of form prior (D3, L3) where the ‘Cherries’ failed to record a clean sheet.
• Disappointing home form since the start of November remains an issue (W1, D1, L2), but with five of Bournemouth’s six Championship home wins at the Vitality Stadium seeing them lead at half-time, it’s clear that when the hosts get their nose in front they tend to keep it that way. They’re favourites to claim all three points again here, and recent history appears to back that up as Bournemouth have won three of their final four home league games of a calendar year (D1).
• Cardiff sit at the opposite end of the table and travel to the Vitality just a few points above the relegation zone. It’s not hard to see where improvements have to be made considering this is a side that’s now gone 21 competitive games without a clean sheet, and one that’s conceded more goals on average per Championship game (1.77) than all but one club ahead of this round.
• However, if there’s one place the ‘Bluebirds’ have been punching above their weight recently, it’s on the road. They travel here on a four-game unbeaten away run (W2, D2), despite conceding first and trailing at half-time on three occasions, after scoring 2+ goals in each of those four matches.
• Players to watch: It’s hard to ignore Bournemouth’s Dominic Solanke who’s enjoying his best-ever scoring season already with 17 league strikes – the last three of which were match openers. However, opposing defender Mark McGuinness could cause issues upfront for the home side, as he’s now netted a second-half strike in three of Cardiff’s last five games!
• Hot streak: One side has led ‘to nil’ at half-time in Cardiff’s last nine matches.