Colchester vs Cheltenham Predictions

• Colchester have the third best defensive record in the league.
• Cheltenham’s 27 goals conceded is the best defensive record in League 2.
• 63% of Cheltenham’s conceded goals were conceded at home.

Promotion is on the cards

Colchester United will be delighted with their progress in recent months and they have positioned themselves perfectly to kick on and win promotion come the end of the campaign. The hosts have put 55 points on the board after 35 games and they currently find themselves in fifth position, however, if they are to progress to the automatic promotion places then they are going to need to take points off those sides around them.

The U’s go into this weekend’s fixture knowing that they have the defensive stability to keep their opposition at bay, as proven by the fact that the 35 goals conceded represents the third best defensive record in the league. However, with seven goals conceded in their last three league matches, they know that they need to return what served them well previously in order to put some vital points on the board.

On a charge

After winning each of their last four matches, Cheltenham go into this weekend’s fixture against Colchester United knowing that they are playing some of their best football of the season and are capable of denting the promotion hopes of their hosts. The Robins sit just above Colchester in the table but have 60 points on the board and have a game in hand.

The visitors have enjoyed their recent success but, much like their hosts, they know that they can thank their defensive strength for their position. The Robins have the best defensive record in the division having conceded just 27 times in their 34 games so far.

Defenses on top

The table suggests that there is little to split these two sides on the pitch and that could prove to be a tight game on Saturday afternoon. Given that the hosts have the third best defensive record in the league and the visitors have the best, it should come as no surprise to learn that we are predicting the defenses to be on top. With this in mind, backing there to be less than 2.5 goals scored represents the best chance of decent return.

In terms of a correct score tip, the hosts have scored an average of 1.65 goals per game on home soil and have conceded just short of a goal per game. When you factor in that the visitors have scored and conceded approximately an average of 1 goal per game on the road, backing a 1-1 draw seems to be a wise move to make.