Head-to-Head
Northampton Town and Port Vale have each won one and drawn one of their last three meetings, with the 0-0 tie in the most recent clash.
Northampton Town
- With Northampton Town in 21st place in League One on 34 points from 32 games, this is a ‘loser takes all’ matchup of two teams in trouble.
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Town have the better recent form with two wins, two draws and one defeat from their last five.
- In fact, Town’s home form in the third tier has been pretty poor with just six wins, three draws and six defeats in 15 games.
- However, Northampton have scored just 17 times in these 15 fixtures and could be tough to break down here.
Port Vale
- Port Vale are 24th on 22 points from 29 games.
- Vale’s survival hopes may be dashed if they fail to end a two-match losing streak.
- Vale’s only win in their last five came on the road, so there is some evidence to suggest they can compete when out on their travels.
Key Players
- Kevin Nolan has been steadily tightening up the defence in Northampton with his squad of experienced and mobile midfielders that can cover the full field and get forward to support attack.
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Jon Brady’s appointment as head coach has given Port Vale a more aggressive edge with a front-foot 4-3-3 system that has made Vale much more of an attacking force.
- Ben Waine is the highest League One scorer for the Staffordshire club this season with just two goals in 14 games.
- Tom Eaves has hit six goals in 22 appearances for the hosts and gives them a focal point in the striker’s role.
Betting Insights
- This match is listed as a toss-up with Northampton Town 2.65 to win and Port Vale 2.65 to triumph while the draw is 3.15.
- Given both clubs have struggled for goals, the Under 2.5 goals line at 1.7 looks a much safer play here.
Prediction
- We believe Northampton can absorb the pressure and hurt Vale on the counterattack or from set piece opportunities.
- A low-scoring draw could be on the cards, but we are going to chance the hosts to edge it because Vale have not won on their last trip to Northampton.
