Crawley vs Stockport County betting tips, BuildABet, best bets and preview
- Michael Beardmore is +22.5pts in profit for the 2023-24 football season
Football betting tips: League Two
1pt Crawley to win either half at 6/4 (Sky Bet)
Kick-off time: 19:45 GMT, Monday
Home 3/1 | Draw 5/2 | Away 5/6
Cards on the table, elephant in the room addressed, Stockport County are not my favourite team right now. They are causing me palpitations on a weekly basis.
After the Hatters amassed 11 straight Sky Bet League Two wins during the autumn, I was already counting the profits from having tipped Dave Challinor's side, losing play-off finalists last term, for the title in my pre-season Sporting Life preview.
But, while the wheels haven't completely come off - they are still second at time of writing, five points off leaders Mansfield and with two games in hand - County have certainly cooled off considerably since, not helped by a string of injury issues.
After just one win in six, the last thing they - or I, to be perfectly honest - need right now is for the Hatters to be facing a trip to a Crawley side who have won five of their own past six to climb to the brink of the play-off places.
What are the best bets?
Given the sides' recent form, there's a temptation to back the hosts outright as the bookies seem to be overpricing them at 3/1.
But Crawley's record against fellow top-half sides (W4 D3 L10) is hit and miss at best. They are beating the division's dross but tend to come up short against the better teams.
However, they're in better nick than County and I'm reluctant to back the visitors who are really making hard weather of things, rescuing a 2-2 draw from 2-0 down at Salford in midweek and needing a 93rd-minute winner to beat Newport last weekend.
The Hatters went three games without a goal before those fixtures too.
CRAWLEY should be competitive here and I really like the 6/4 on them TO WIN EITHER HALF.
County have been mediocre on the road for some time now (W2 D6 L3 since November) - they won handsomely at bottom-six sides Doncaster and Grimsby but have been vulnerable to anyone half decent and Crawley fall into that category.
The hosts are on a high and look an inviting price to edge either 45-minute period regardless of the overall outcome.
BuildABet @ 20/1
- Crawley to win
- Both teams to score
- Danilo Orsi-Dadomo to score anytime
- 40+ booking points
CLICK HERE to back with Sky Bet
These two sides are in polar opposite form, with Crawley flying after winning five of their last six and can take the scalp of a promotion chaser here, though Stockport's attacking firepower should see both sides hit the net.
Crawley striker Danilo Orsi-Dadomo has scored 15 times this season and can add to that tally against a Stockport team who have shipped 15 goals in their last 10 away matches.
The hosts are a high-card team, with their home games seeing an average of 5.8 cards this season.
Team news
Crawley are still unable to call upon the services of Ben Gladwin, Dion Conroy and Liam Kelly due to their respective injury issues.
Laurence Maguire could be presented with a place in the back three after he was introduced as a half-time substitute on Tuesday. Ade Adeyemo is likely to remain among the substitutes despite coming off the bench to score the winner against Notts County.
As for Stockport, Macauley Southam-Hales is a long-term absentee after rupturing his patellar tendon in last month's draw with Harrogate Town. The visitors could be without Akil Wright, Will Collar, Ryan Croasdale and Louie Barry, who have all been struggling with injury issues.
Full-back Ethan Bristow was forced off in the first half against Salford and is likely to miss Monday's trip to West Sussex.
Predicted line-ups
Crawley Town: Addai; Maguire, Mukena, Wright; Gordon, Williams, Lolos, Forster; Darcy, Campbell; Orsi
Stockport County: Hinchliffe; Kane, Horsfall, Pye, Touray; Lemonheigh-Evans, Camps, Sarcevic, Madden; Wootton, Olaofe
Odds correct at 1310 (17/03/24)
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