Match Preview: Sunderland 1-1 Coventry Prediction and Betting Tips | CHAMPIONSHIP

Sunderland – Coventry Prediction and Tips for today, July 31, 2022

Football: ENGLAND: CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 1
Kick-off: 12:00 Sunderland – Coventry
Tip: Over 1.5 Goals
Odds: 1.32
Bookmaker: Bet365
Match Result: 1:1 WON!!!

Sunderland – Coventry Match Preview

• Sunderland begin life back in the Championship after a memorable play-off triumph at Wembley which secured their first domestic promotion since 2007. Fans of the Black Cats will now demand a considerable improvement on their previous campaign in England’s second tier after finishing rock-bottom back in 2017/18. If Sunderland are to improve, then breaking their Championship opening day hoodoo which has seen them fail to win on matchday one in all four previous opening day encounters they’ve played in this league (D2, L2), would be a good start and lay a marker for the season ahead.
• By starting the season on a high here, Alex Neil’s side will also help preserve an impressive home record that laid the foundations for their promotion push. Sunderland accumulated 16 wins from 23 regular season league games at the Stadium of Light last term, scoring 49 goals in the process, whilst winning six of their final seven home matches to conclude the season.
• Coventry City raise the curtain on their third successive Championship season, having improved by four places to finish a respectable 12th last term – their highest finish across England’s top-four divisions since 2006. With the Sky Blues usually dominant in opening-day Championship fixtures – winning nine of their previous 13 (D2, L2) – they will likely travel north confident of building on last season’s achievements.
• Coventry also have the bragging rights from when these sides locked horns between 2018 and 2020 when Mark Robins’ side went unbeaten (W2, D2) in a spate of four H2Hs that included a thrilling 5-4 win at this stadium in what was the highest scoring game in the 92-year history of this fixture. While a repeat of that scoreline looks unlikely, Coventry did end last season unbeaten in four on the road (W2, D2).
• Players to watch: Sunderland’s Scottish striker Ross Stewart, who scored 26 goals last season, has netted on matchday one for three seasons running! Looking to steal the limelight will be Viktor Gyökeres, who scored in 12 of Coventry’s 17 league victories last campaign on his way to a career-high 17 league goals for the season.
• Hot stat: Coventry only kept four clean sheets in 23 away fixtures last season. They now travel to the Stadium of Light which saw an average of 2.84 goals per game last term.