Stoke City vs Ipswich Predictions

Paul Lambert returns to the bet365 Stadium this weekend, but don’t expect a rousing reception from the home faithful. Back in May, the former Aston Villa boss took the Potters down from the Premier League with a whimper, after he failed to save them from the drop. He walked away soon after, and he’s now primed to inflict a relegation on Ipswich fans, too. The Scottish manager is in charge of bottom side Ipswich Town, who are yet to win a game since he took charge. Will his new side end that wait against his former employers?

The hosts have perked up in their recent results, as Gary Rowett managed to win his meeting with a former side at the end of November. The 2-1 win over Derby was a much-needed success for the Potters, who sit in 12th place in the Championship table. They are seven points shy of the playoffs, but things are certainly starting to look up for the recently relegated side. A seven-game unbeaten streak continued with a 2-2 draw against Reading last time out – but will that continue here?

Ipswich have just a single win all season, and that came in a trip to Swansea, with the Welsh side dominant. With seven defeats from 10 trips this term, it’s easy to see why Stoke are fancied for a home win here. It’s hard to see any kind of shock from Lambert this weekend, and the visiting boss knows his men have big issues to fix in order to avoid the drop. They come here having shipped two goals per away game on average, giving them one of the worst defensive records in the Championship.

Stoke have looked better in front of goal of late, scoring twice in their last three games. Having scored in each half in 40% of their home matches this season, the Potters should prove to be a threat in front of goal once again on Saturday. They are facing the worst side in the league, so this is the perfect chance for Rowett and his men to show what they can do.

The visitors have conceded twice in all but one of their away games, which points to Stoke’s forwards having an easy time of things. Ipswich have let in two goals in their last nine away trips. Despite that, you can get good value on Stoke scoring over 1.5 goals in this clash, and that’s our main pick for Saturday’s encounter.