Blackburn vs QPR predictions: Rovers to rule the roost at home fortress

Aaron Ashley
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John Eustace's Blackburn have been exceeding expectations so far this season
John Eustace's Blackburn have been exceeding expectations so far this season

- Blackburn have won all three home league games this season
- Rovers have lost only three of their last 14 home league matches 
- Recommended bet:
Blackburn to win

Six games into the new Championship season and things are going swimmingly for Blackburn, who remain unbeaten and are not looking like the relegation candidates many had made them.

The departure of last season’s top scorer Sammie Szmodics to Ipswich was expected to cause problems for Blackburn, but manager John Eustace has made his side tough to beat and in Japanese forward Yuki Ohashi, he has unearthed a fresh source of goals.

Rovers are scoring freely — only Sunderland and Burnley have netted more than their tally of 12 this term — and they come into this clash at home to QPR on the back of recording consecutive clean sheets against Bristol City and Preston.

However, Eustace will know another tough test awaits his players against QPR, who have not suffered defeat since their 3-1 loss at home to West Brom on the opening weekend of the season.

The R’s have since gone five league games unbeaten, although four of those outings against Sheffield United, Plymouth, Sheffield Wednesday and Millwall have finished as score draws.

Team news

Hosts Blackburn remain without Scott Wharton and Zak Gilsenan while Callum Brittain is a doubt having missed their last two league games with a knock.

Meanwhile, Welsh defender Owen Beck is suspended following his straight red card in last Sunday’s goalless draw at Lancashire rivals Preston.

QPR, meanwhile, remain without Moroccan midfielder Ilias Chair, who is not expected to return from a back issue until next month, alongside Liam Morrison and Morgan Fox.

Marti Cifuentes has seen his QPR side register just one win in the Championship this term
Marti Cifuentes has seen his QPR side register just one win in the Championship this term

The stats

Blackburn have lost only one of their last 10 Championship matches, starting the new season on a six-game unbeaten run.

Rovers have won all three of their home league games this season, scoring nine goals along the way.

Blackburn have lost only three of their last 14 matches in the Championship at Ewood Park.

Four of QPR’s last five league matches have ended as draws.

Both teams have scored in all six of QPR’s league games this season.

QPR have lost on only two of their last 13 away trips in the Championship.

There have been 14 meetings between these sides since a draw last took place.

Prediction

Blackburn have made an excellent start to the new season and they are proving pretty formidable at Ewood Park, where they have scored nine goals in accounting for Derby, Oxford and Bristol City.

QPR, who are unbeaten in five, may prove a tougher obstacle to pass, but Eustace’s team is looking like a pretty cohesive unit and the home supporters are sure to be full of voice as they bid to maintain their perfect home record.

While the visitors are on a decent run of results, they are yet to keep a clean sheet in nine games in all competitions this season and in Blackburn they meet a team that are finding goals easy to come by.

In QPR’s latest 1-1 draw at home to Millwall, they lost the shot count 16-7, suggesting that Blackburn should create plenty of chances as they seek to stretch their unbeaten run in the Championship to seven.

For all the promise that QPR have shown, they have still won only one of their opening six league assignments and this is a tricky test against a Blackburn side brimming with belief.

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ChampionshipBlackburnQueens Park Rangers