Plymouth vs Blackburn predictions: Pilgrims poised to bounce back
- Plymouth have won 21 of the last 25 home league games
- Blackburn have not won back-to-back Championship games since October 2022
- Recommended bet: Plymouth to win
Plymouth are seeking to end a run of three straight defeats in all competitions when they host a Blackburn side that has been clocking up the miles this week.
Argyle threw away a two-goal lead in the EFL Cup loss to Crystal Palace in midweek, a result which followed hot on the heels of last-gasp defeats to Southampton and Birmingham.
Blackburn are fresh off an 8-0 EFL Cup win at Harrogate but having been to North Yorkshire and Watford before heading to Devon, it may pay to oppose a weary Rovers side.
Team news
Macaulay Gillesphey was an unused substitute in Plymouth's EFL Cup defeat to Crystal Palace on his return to the matchday squad following a groin injury and could feature.
Brendan Galloway is a doubt while Saxon Earley and Michael Cooper are long-term absentees.
Blackburn have no fresh injury concerns with Joe Rankin-Costello, Sam Barnes, Jack Vale, Niall Ennis and Arnor Sigurdsson still unavailable.
Harry Pickering is available for Rovers again after serving a one-match ban.
The stats
Plymouth were beaten by Southampton last time out at home in the Championship before the cup loss to Crystal Palace, only the fourth and fifth home defeats suffered by the Pilgrims in the last year.
The defeat to the Saints put a dent in what is otherwise an excellent record at home in league competition of 21 wins from the last 25 matches.
Plymouth’s Ryan Hardie has netted three times in his four Championship outings this season, putting him one off top spot in the division’s Golden Boot standings.
Blackburn are unbeaten in their last six away games in all competitions, winning 1-0 away at Watford last weekend.
The clean sheet at Vicarage Road was Blackburn’s first in the Championship since last December and was achieved despite losing the shot count against the Hornets 23-4.
Blackburn rank fourth in the division for shots allowed per game having conceded 16.5 per match on average.
One place above them are Plymouth, who have allowed 17 shots per game.
Prediction
Blackburn boss Jon Dahl Tomasson has estimated that by the time his players arrive at Home Park, they will have spent more than 24 hours on the team bus in the last week.
And while their two previous trips have ended in wins, to go again a third time feels like a big ask for Rovers’ relatively small squad that will not be able to call upon the services of former Plymouth striker Niall Ennis, amongst others, for this contest.
Blackburn really rode their luck at Watford and should be made to pay by Plymouth’s strikeforce if they give up as many chances to the Pilgrims.
The likes of Morgan Whittaker, Ryan Hardie and Bali Mumba have not been the issue going forward for Arygle in recent games and Steven Schumacher’s side can count themselves unlucky to have lost their last two Championship games.
On each occasion, Plymouth conceded a stoppage-time winner, but there was little else wrong with the performances and they look the value pick to bounce back at home, where they have regularly come out on top in the last year.
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