Reading vs Blackpool Predictions

• Reading have won five of their last six Championship matches.
• Blackpool have lost two of their last four Championship games.
• Reading have conceded only two goals in their last five league games.

Reading now a reliable force 

Veljko Paunović has turned Reading, now one of the most in-form sides in the Championship, into a reliable force that ought to come away with another win when they face Blackpool on Wednesday.

The Royals have won five of their last six in the league – not an easy feat to achieve in one of the most unpredictable and unrelenting divisions in world football. Their latest 1-0 success came at the expense of struggling Barnsley, so may not garner the attention it deserves, but the Tykes were restricted to their lowest xG total in their last six games.

With 19 goals conceded in their first 12 games, Reading’s rearguard won’t get any recognition yet – but there has been a dramatic turnaround there as the Royals’ defence has been breached only twice in the last five games.

Blackpool have just seen their four-game unbeaten bubble burst by a Nottingham Forest side enjoying a bounce a new manager brings.

Blackpool absences hard to overlook

We believe they may be due another away defeat here as injuries have drastically reduced their goal potential in recent times. Neil Critchley was without as many as nine players through injury, illness or other on Saturday – which became ten when Kevin Stewart limped off during the second-half at the City Ground.

One or two may return for the trip to Berkshire, but it may not be enough to knock the Royals from their stride. We like the hosts to make it a fourth home Championship win in a row and probably with a clean sheet to boot.

The odds on the home victory are enough for us here, although our respect for the improvement in Reading’s defence is reflected in the correct score prediction of 2-0 to the hosts.