It was a profitable week for this column last time out, even if the statistics weren’t mind blowing.
Three of our five legs landed, but with that trio coming at meaty prices of 10/11, 7/10 and 3/4, singles backers were rewarded with a handsome enough payout.
And so we move on once more with our latest batch of both team to score betting tips, in which we may just circumnavigate the unpredictable waters of the FA Cup fifth round.
| Match | Both Teams to Score Yes/No | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Doncaster Rovers vs Crystal Palace | Yes | 10/11 |
| Ipswich Town vs Stoke City | No | 4/5 |
| Carlisle United vs MK Dons | Yes | 4/6 |
| Macclesfield Town vs Colchester United | Yes | 8/11 |
| Port Vale vs Morecambe | No | 4/5 |
| All Five Results as an Accumulator | 16.80/1 | |
Doncaster Rovers vs Crystal Palace – Yes (10/11)
Okay, so we just about avoided the FA Cup games….
But there is a lot to like about goals featuring in this one, with both sides capable of causing havoc going forward.
Admittedly Doncaster do so at two levels below their opponents here, but a home formline of W8 D5 L2 tells its own story: Donny enjoy themselves in front of their own fans. What’s more, they’ve bludgeoned 29 goals in those 15 games.
Despite the 1-1 scoreline, Crystal Palace were very impressive against West Ham, and arguably could have scored three or four.
Christian Benteke is back fit, and while he doesn’t score many he does have a happy knack of opening up play for others. Zaha, Townsend and Meyer can all prosper, with Aaron Bin Wissaka – arguably one of the best young players in the Premier League this term – marauding down the right flank.
Ipswich Town vs Stoke City – No ( 4/5)
The Tractor Boys plough on in the Championship, but their performance level in the 0-3 defeat to Norwich in the ‘Old Farm’ derby suggests they are resigned to their fate at the foot of the table.
After 31 games they have a goal difference of -31, which you don’t need to be Rachel Riley to know means they are basically giving away a goal per game before a ball is even kicked.
Chiefly responsible for that startling statistic is an inability to put the ball in the net; they’ve only scored four in their last eight games, with blanks being drawn in five of those. Paul Lambert’s side also average less than a goal per game scored on home soil.
As for Stoke, when Sam Vokes and Saido Berahino are your two main goal threats, you know something has gone badly wrong in subsequent transfer windows.
New boss Nathan Jones hasn’t had long to put his stamp on his new employer, and a ‘goals for’ column of 33 – the fifth lowest in the Championship – will alarm him greatly.
For now, expect the Potters to look to improve from the back forwards.
Carlisle United vs MK Dons – Yes (4/6)
When Kieran Agard, Rhys Healey and Chuks Aneke are all fit, the MK Dons have arguably the most lethal strikeforce in League Two, and that is reflected by the fact they have only failed to find the net in four of their 32 matches to date.
But Paul Tisdale had a defensive problem to solve, with the promotion chasers shipping 13 goals in their last eight games.
Carlisle won’t be in forgiving mood; they too have eyes on an automatic promotion place.
The Cumbrians were dealt a triple blow in January when on-loan trio Jerry Yates, Ashley Nadesan and Jack Sowerby all returned to their parent clubs, but hey are still good for a goal and will relish the task of breaking down a fragile Milton Keynes backline.
Macclesfield Town vs Colchester United – Yes (8/11)
Goals have been following these two sides around massively of late.
For a side managed by Sol Campbell, you’d expect Macclesfield to be better defensively, but they’ve shipped nine goals in their last three outings. But they have contributed offensively in those games (3-3, 2-3, 1-3) and all in all have netted two or more in four of their last five outings.
As for Colchester, they’ve bludgeoned an outstanding 16 goals in just half-a-dozen outings, conceding eight into the bargain.
Port Vale vs Morecambe – No (4/5)
In their last 16 combined games, Port Vale and Morecambe has scored a pitiful 10 goals.
The hosts have well and truly lost their goal-den touch, scoring just three times in their last eight starts.
Morecambe’s travelling fans are a hardy bunch, having witnessed their side score just 13 times on the road all season long, and with this encounter being something of a relegation dogfight we can expect a tense, low-scoring affair once more.