Mansfield Town vs Tranmere Predictions

With MK Dons having trouble maintaining their form at the moment, the onus has fell to the rest of the chasing pack to apply pressure on Lincoln City at the top of the table. One of the sides who have taken up that mantel and who have been impressing over the last few months in Mansfield Town, and this weekend they have the opportunity to close the gap as they welcome a Tranmere Rovers side who have performed above expectations in their first season back in the Football League.

Promotion-chasing Mansfield Town produced a terrific performance to come back from two goals down to win 3-2 at Colchester United last weekend, and the grit and determination shown in that performance has been on display for much of the last few months. The Stags were largely fancied to challenge for the title at the start of the campaign but a slow start to the season has left them playing catch-up.

Tranmere Rovers suffered just their second home defeat of the season last weekend after falling 2-1 to mid-table rivals Swindon Town, and with their away form less than impressive, it would be a shock if they manage to avoid back-to-back defeats. Rovers have conceded a massive 80% of their goals away from home and, with a stat like that, it probably will not shock anyone to learn that they have managed a poultry three wins away from home all season.

The Stags will be expected by many to come away with all three points and, given that they know that they cannot afford any slip-ups if they are to close the gap on Lincoln, we fully expect them to be at the top of their game. This, combined with the fact that Tranmere have not been particularly impressive on their travels this term, leads us to believe that backing a home win is the way to go in this one.