There are three important matches in the Championship on Tuesday evening which will all have a big impact on the promotion race, with the pick of the games coming at Bloomfield Road where Blackpool and West Ham go head to head.

Blackpool v West Ham (8pm)

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce takes his side north to the Lancashire coast for a tough assignment against Ian Holloway’s Tangerines looking to make a swift return to the top of the Championship after Southampton knocked them off their perch with a 4-0 win against Derby on Saturday.

However, they will have to try and pick up the maximum points without the suspended pairing of skipper Kevin Nolan and Matt Taylor following their respective recent red cards.

It will be a blow for Allardyce, who has seen his side struggle on the road in recent weeks as they have won one, drawn one and lost four of their previous six away matches.

Blackpool, who are five points behind West Ham going into the game and can go third with a win, are unbeaten in their last six on home soil with three wins and three draws, so will no doubt be confident ahead of this showdown.

The Seasiders have a much better record in the overall meetings between the two sides, but the Hammers thrashed them 4-0 at Upton Park earlier in this campaign and triumphed 3-1 in last season’s Premier League clash at the same venue.

A close match looks to be in the offing and it is difficult to pick a winner so a draw is perhaps the likely outcome.

Prediction: Draw 90 Minutes @ 9/4
Value Bet: West Ham/Draw HT/FT @ 12/1

Barnsley v Birmingham (7.45pm)

Chris Hughton takes his high-flying Blues to South Yorkshire looking to cement their place in the play-off places with three points following an impressive 1-1 draw at Chelsea in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday.

A win could take Birmingham up to third if Blackpool fail to defeat West Ham and they head to Oakwell in great form on the road with four wins from their last six outings, with 17 goals scored and just three conceded.

It won’t be easy against Keith Hill’s Tykes, who defeated crisis club Portsmouth 2-0 on Saturday and are set to hand Stephen Dawson and David Cotterill first appearances.

Barnsley are in mid-table and have won three and lost three of their last six at home so it could be a case of waiting to see which team turns up on the night.

Regardless of that, we suggest the Blues will have too much for the Yorkshiremen and should continue their march up the Championship table.

Prediction: Away Win 90 Minutes @ 11/10
Value Bet: Birmingham To Win 3-1 Correct Score @ 16/1

Millwall v Middlesbrough (7.45pm)

Middlesbrough head down to south London refreshed following a weekend off and no doubt buoyed by their first win of 2012 against Nottingham Forest last Tuesday which has left them handily placed in eighth spot and just one point off the play-off places.

Tony Mowbray’s side had been in the top six all season until a disastrous January saw them slip down the Championship table.

However, Boro seem to have settled the ship of late with the win against Forest following on from draws against Crystal Palace and Leicester in the league.

Barry Robson is set to return from a hand injury and could replace midfielder Kevin Thomson who starts a two-match suspension after his red card against Forest.

The game will come too soon for Nicky Bailey, while Scott McDonald is a long-term absentee with a knee injury.

Millwall come into the game on the back of their FA Cup fifth-round defeat at the hands of Bolton at the New Den looking for a win to move nine points clear of the relegation places.

However, with just one win and two draws from their last six in all competitions on home soil it is not good reading for Kenny Jackett’s men.

The Londoners are boosted by their great overall record against Boro, with 13 home wins and only four defeats from 23 previous home encounters. But Boro will take comfort from their 3-2 win in last season’s corresponding fixture.

Another difficult game to call and, with both sides being amongst the Championship’s draw specialists, it would not be a surprise if they share the spoils on Tuesday.

Prediction: Draw 90 Minutes @ 9/4
Value Bet: 1-1 Draw Correct Score @ 11/2

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