Rhodes to score and Blackburn to beat Cardiff is great odds with Coral

The new Championship season is imminent, as Blackburn prepare to kick off their campaign at home to Cardiff City. Coral are offering customers odds of 3/1 for Rovers to win and star striker Jordan Rhodes to score at anytime.

Ex-Huddersfield man Rhodes struck 25 goals in the Championship last term, and is the favourite at 5/1 to top the league scoring charts next term. He has been in a rich vein of form in pre-season, netting against Premier League opposition Stoke City in a match that ended in a positive 1-1 draw for the Lancashire side.

Cardiff are yet to strengthen their defence this summer, and boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is likely to review potential targets after his team’s opening match.

Blackburn have compiled a very solid squad, and are beginning to look settled with manager Gary Bowyer. With talented, former Hull City player Tom Cairney and academy product and England Under-21 international Jason Lowe dominating the midfield, Rhodes’ supply line looks healthy.

The Bluebirds however may take time to re-acclimatise to the Championship again, having endured a tough time in the top flight last term. They lost 22 of their matches, winning on just seven occasions, consequently finishing bottom of the Premier League table on just 30 points.

Rovers centre back Matt Kilgallon is looking forward to the first game of the new campaign.

“It will be two good teams and should be a great game,” the former Leeds defender said.

“There’s competition for places which is very good to have. We’ve got a strong squad and there’s a good feeling about the place.

“We’ll see how we start and hopefully be thereabouts.”

Having ended last term strongly he added: “It gives you confidence but that was last season,” added Kilgallon. “This is a fresh season and we’ve got to be careful that we don’t just think that because of that it is going to be easy out there for us.

“That was last season, we’ve got to start now and do another 12 unbeaten and hopefully we can do that.

“The spirit is high, pre-season is done now, we can’t wait for the season to start.”