Cardiff City are battling manfully against relegation from the Premier League amid the tragedy of the death of Emiliano Sala. The Bluebirds had hoped that Sala would score the goals that would keep them clear of the bottom three but the tragic circumstances of his death have robbed them along with the footballing world of his star quality.
Warnock: “I
don’t think it’s a must-win game. I think it’s a very important game in the circumstances, but
there’ll be other games that are must win later in the season.”Agree with
Neil? #CCFC pic.twitter.com/r1wJpZ0xaB—
CityBluebirds.com (@CityBluebirds_) March 8, 2019
Neil Warnock’s men have also had to contend with losing defender Sol Bamba for the rest of the season with a knee injury. However, the club have managed to keep themselves in the scrap at the foot of the table but are four points behind Brighton, who occupy 17th place. The odds are stacked against Cardiff even after a tidy little run and they’re still being backed to be relegated to the Championship.
It could prove to be another ‘nearly’ tale for Warnock, who saw his Sheffield United side relegated from the Premier League on the final day of the season in 2007, losing at home to Wigan Athletic.
It’s worth tracking their odds for value in the relegation betting market to stay up. Huddersfield Town and Fulham are already relegated, which is encouraging for the price for Cardiff to beat the drop. There are not many teams in the market, given the struggles of the Terriers and the Cottagers.
The Bluebirds have odds ranging in the region of 20/1 and, by analysing the best sports betting offers, there’s value to be had in the market, despite the pedigree of the teams around them in the top flight. Brighton have their own flaws but are a comfortable 1/66 to avoid the drop.
The Bluebirds earned a first-ever #PL win against West Ham and are just two points from safety#CARWHU pic.twitter.com/2ZtA4t1Ldt
— Premier League (@premierleague) March 9, 2019
However, the fixture list is not kind to Cardiff in the coming weeks. Warnock’s side face off against Crystal Palace and then finish the season off at Manchester United. The Crystal Palace game is set to be played at the Cardiff City Stadium, where the Bluebirds have been good enough, claiming 20 of their 31 points on home soil.
Brighton can confirm Cardiff’s relegation with a win from their last two games. But, the Seagulls have a daunting task, with their two fixtures coming against Arsenal and Manchester City. Cardiff have been provided a simmer of hope due to the fixture list. But, even if Brighton lose both of their fixtures, they would still need six points from their two games to upstage Brighton.
