- Defence stat: Birmingham City have only conceded five goals away from home in the Championship 2026/2027 (W3, D1, L2).
- Home scoring: Lincoln City have averaged just 1.17 goals per game at home in the Championship 2026/2027.
- Key player form: Liam Millar has scored four of Birmingham City's last eight goals across the last 5 matches.
Blues can nick it at Sincil Bank
Standings and odds
Lincoln City sit 15th in the Championship 2026/2027 table with 15 points from 12 games, while Birmingham City are seventh on 20 points after 12 games, making the Blues the slight favorites at 2.17 to Lincoln City's 3.16 and the draw at 3.35.
Form and background
The Blues have the better of the recent head-to-head record with two wins from the last two meetings and won the most recent home meeting between the two sides 1-0 in League One 2024/2025. Since then, Chris Cohen has been at the helm of the Imps since 9 June 2026 and his side have started the campaign well, but the results are beginning to even out with one win, one draw and three losses from the last five matches.
Birmingham have had a similar up-and-down start, but there has been an upward trend in results of late with three wins, one draw and one loss from their last five. The most impressive results during that period have been back-to-back 4-0 and 3-0 home wins over Preston North End and Queens Park Rangers, but Saturday's 1-0 loss at Cardiff City suggests there is still work to do away from St Andrew's.
Goals should be at a premium
Lincoln are a little inconsistent at home in the Championship 2026/2027 with just one win, two draws and three defeats so far, but will fancy their chances of returning to form against a Birmingham side they couldn't beat in the home leg of this fixture in the 2024/2025 season.
Cohen has set up the Imps in a 4-2-3-1 system that can lock up in a compact shape to control the middle of the field, which will try to stifle Birmingham's pace and energy. The Blues' shape is led by Chris Davies and has a direct and runner-based approach that will try to turn this into a transition game, but the hosts are just as fast and should make it close.
Lincoln's average of 1.17 goals per home game in the Championship 2026/2027 suggests there won't be many, but a recent 4-1 home win over Burnley was preceded by a 6-0 loss to West Ham United and a 2-2 draw away at Millwall, so there are swings in form.
A Birmingham win with both teams to score – no is my main selection for Saturday's match at LNER Stadium because the odds lean that way, but this has all the hallmarks of a tight, cagey game.
- Freddie Draper is the leading scorer for Lincoln in the Championship 2026/2027 with two goals in eight, so the best chance of a home goal will come through him.
- Liam Millar is in red-hot form for Birmingham with four of his team's last eight goals and Carlos Vicente is the top scorer for the Blues in the 2026/2027 Championship season with two in eight, so they have a reliable option up front.
