What could be a defining moment is coming up for two sides at the opposite ends of the Championship table at the Cardiff City Stadium, as Cardiff host Burnley. The Bluebirds, who sit 20th on 36 points, find themselves in a fight against relegation, while third-placed Burnley are chasing promotion on 68 points.
Recent form is a cause for concern for Cardiff, who have managed just one win in their previous five games. They have been especially poor on their home turf, not scoring in six of their 17 home games this term. Burnley, by contrast, come into this clash with significant momentum, having taken three wins and a draw from their previous five games, further illustrating their promotion credentials.
The historical data for this game just makes things even more interesting. Burnley have dominated this fixture in recent seasons, winning four of the last five encounters between these two clubs. While Cardiff's last home win over the Clarets was all the way back in 2012, they can take some comfort from their overall home record against the Clarets in this encounter, having won 8 of the last 13 against Burnley in Cardiff.
The match could be decided by who performs better out of Cardiff's Callum Robinson, who has netted 12 goals this term, and Burnley midfielder Josh Brownhill, who is a huge part of everything the visitors do. With Cardiff's woeful goal difference of -18 in stark contrast to Burnley's +34, the home team are faced with an uphill battle, but with Cardiff scrapping for Championship survival and Burnley seeking promotion, this Tuesday night game is bound to be an intense affair, full of tension, which may just give The Bluebirds some hope that they can capitalise on the emotion in the air and pull off a monumental win.
Cardiff City - Burnley Key Facts
Burnley remain unbeaten in their last 23 matches and are in top form, which makes them a great bet to win, especially against a Cardiff side who are finding it hugely difficult to find any kind of consistency.
Cardiff have not scored in 6 of their 16 home matches this season, and they are very unlikely to find that attacking guile and ruthlessness against a team which is breaking records for its defensive ability in Burnley. An away clean sheet looks almost inevitable.
Betting Predictions
Primary Bet: Away Win (Burnley) @ 9/10
Burnley's convincing performances of late, epitomised by an impressive run stretching back 23 games without defeat, including 12 away matches, make them huge favorites against a Cardiff side desperate for survival. The Clarets have prevailed in four out of their previous five encounters with Cardiff, posting a high-scoring average of 2.6 goals per match against the Welsh side. Although Cardiff have been solid on home soil, defensive vulnerability has been their biggest weakness, having failed to keep a clean sheet in 7 consecutive matches. Burnley are imperious home and away right now and are the obvious bet for this match.
Secondary Bet: Over 2.5 Goals @ 13/8
The goals market is also deserving of some serious consideration, with the previous meetings between these two sides averaging three goals a game. Cardiff's home average of 1.52 goals and Burnley's away average of 1.32 only tell half the story. Cardiff know they need wins and may open up enough to let Burnley punish them. Likewise, although the Clarets are ridiculously solid at the back, with nine successive clean sheets, Cardiff's desperate lunge for survival will push them to attack, and they could grab themselves a goal, no matter how impossible that might seem. For this reason, one way or another, over 2.5 goals is very appealing.
Editorial Pick: Burnley to Win to Nil @ 13/8
The Clarets' defensive record is becoming one of the most talked-about elements of the entire English football pyramid this season. Conceding 9 goals in 34 games is simply ridiculous. It's hard to back anyone in the Championship to score against them, least of all Cardiff City. Compounding the misery for the hosts is the fact that Burnley have finally found their shooting boots since the arrival of Marcus Edwards on loan from Sporting on deadline day. They have scored 10 goals in 5 games since his debut and he seems to be the missing piece they needed to click in attack. Now they are turning 0-0 draws into 3-0 and 4-0 wins, and that does not bode well for Cardiff City.
