- Cardiff are still seeking a first Championship away win this season after 4 attempts, taking 1 point and losing the other 3.
- Both teams are in mixed form, but Rovers have the better home form against the Bluebirds.
Bowen’s boys and Bluebirds should make for a nervy Championship scrap
Blackburn are 79/50 favourites to beat Cardiff at Ewood Park on Saturday, but the Bluebirds can be taken at 38/25 for the win or at 5/2 to gain a point in what looks set to be a nervy Championship clash.
Rovers are 16th in the Championship table with 9 points from 8 games, while the visitors are 21st with 7 points from the same number of fixtures, so this early-season clash has the potential to be a real scrap.
Tony Mowbray has Rovers playing a more structured 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 system which is all about controlling the game and managing possession rather than going over the top.
Oladapo Afolayan has been on a purple patch for the hosts, scoring 3 of their last 6 Championship goals, while Andri Gudjohnsen leads the way with 3 goals in seven games.
Jack Moylan is the top scorer in the Cardiff ranks with 3 Championship goals from eight games and he has scored 2 of his team's last 5 so the former Plymouth man looks to be their best value to score this weekend.
Brian Barry-Murphy has the Bluebirds pressing a little more proactively and moving players into various positions in a fluid 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 system. They have 1 win, 1 draw and 3 defeats in their last 5 across all competitions, so form is mixed.
Their two most recent results were a 1-0 away defeat at Bolton, which was followed by a 3-1 home win over Charlton, but they still look shaky on their travels.
Cardiff nicked a 2-1 win in the last Championship meeting between the clubs, but the last two are 1-1 and Rovers have won two of their previous three home games against the Welsh outfit.
Both teams to score the better play on a potentially open game
Blackburn's build-up should be a little calmer than Cardiff's and this could unsettle the visitors, who are more inclined to get men in behind the ball and win it back in their front third.
This is likely to work for Rovers, but the more positive pressure from the away team should force them into errors and create chances at both ends.
The odds on both teams to score here are the sharpest angle at 1/2, although we are going to take over 2.5 goals at 31/50 because this game could open up a bit and a Rovers win is most likely.
Rovers have two wins and two defeats at home in the Championship, conceding six goals at Ewood, while Cardiff have just 0.75 goals-per-game on their road trips.
