Blackburn vs. Sunderland Betting Tips: Back Brereton Diaz to score & be carded against the Black Cats

Six Championship fixtures take place on Tuesday evening with Blackburn Rovers facing Sunderland live on Sky Sports Main event. Here at BettingOdds.com we’ve previewed the action and have provided you with two bets which we like the look of for the game. 

Blackburn will welcome former manager Tony Mowbray back to Ewood Park on Tuesday, with the now Sunderland manager having spent five years with the Lancastrians up until the summer. 

We are now 14 games into the Championship season and remarkably, Blackburn are still yet to draw a game, the only side in the division to do so, having won eight and lost six of their fixtures. Rovers have struggled for consistency this term and have not won back-to-back games since August. However, despite not firing on all cylinders this season Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side still find themselves fifth in the table and just one point off top spot, which their rivals Burnley occupy. 

Tuesday represents a chance for Blackburn to temporarily leapfrog their East Lancashire neighbours before their game on Wednesday. Rovers will however be without the services of Lewis Travis for the game against Sunderland after he picked up his fifth yellow card of the campaign at the weekend. Sam Gallagher should keep his place in the starting XI after a stunning strike against Middlesbrough, while 17-year-old Ash Phillips is also set to continue in defence.

Sunderland may have only won five of their 14 matches since returning to the Championship, but due to the tight-nature of the table, they are only five points off top and can move into the top-six with a win on the road at Blackburn. The Black Cats have been shown the most yellow cards of any team in the Championship this season (37) and will have former Rovers player Corry Evans available as he returns from his one match suspension after receiving five yellows. Sunderland have also struggled for consistency and have the chance here to claim their first back-to-back victories of the season after taking three points against Wigan on Saturday.

Many Blackburn fans thought that the club would cash in and take a big money move for their prized asset of Ben Brereton Diaz last summer. However, much to the delight of the Rovers faithful, the Chilean International remains at the club and has found his shooting boots once again in recent weeks.

Punters who took the 1000/1 and 500/1 from Sky Bet last season for Brereton to score 20+ were in absolute clover when the Stoke-born bagsman fired in his 20th of the campaign just four days after Christmas. Injuries impacted the second-half of the campaign for Brereton with him only scoring two goals after the turn of the year, but this season he has already racked up seven, which leaves him one behind the league’s top scorers, Josh Sergent and Oscar Estupinan. 

Five of Brereton Diaz’s goals this season have come in home matches including four in his last four at Ewood Park. Penalty taker for the club and a player who looks destined for the Premier League with his contract up at the end of the season, Brereton looks a good price to get on the scoresheet on Tuesday with quotes of 7/4 available with both Betfair and Paddy Power.

We’ll also be taking a punt on Brereton to both score and be carded in the match, which is available at 14/1 over at Paddy Power. Last season in the Championship, Brereton was shown eight yellow cards in 37 appearances. This term he’s already been shown three and also scored in the same game when facing Blackpool last month. A little heavy footed with his tackling at times and one who doesn’t mind getting in the referee’s ear about a decision that didn’t go his way, Brereton makes appeal in a market with some rather short prices in this match. 

Good luck to anyone following the selections and as always, please gamble responsibly.