Walsall vs Rochdale Predictions

After beating Gillingham by three goals to nil away from home a fortnight ago, Walsall would’ve gone into their match with Plymouth last Tuesday feeling good, though any good feelings that the Saddlers had pre-match weren’t there after 90 minutes, as they lost by two goals to one. Dean Keates’ men have now lost three of their last four in the league and are in danger of getting too close for comfort as far as the relegation zone is concerned.

Walsall were beaten last time out, though they had grounds to feel somewhat disappointed after that match. Having watched his side match Plymouth in every area, including chances created, Dean Keates will have been gutted to leave Home Park empty handed, though he could be encouraged by another reasonable performance.

Result have rarely gone Walsall’s way over the last six weeks or so, though it’s fair to say that performance levels have steadily improved. The Saddlers deserved to beat Gillingham recently, while their defeats either side of that victory were far from merited. At times, Walsall have looked very useful going forward on home soil, so this match against the defensively inept Rochdale represents an opportunity for them to do well.

Rochdale continued to struggle last time out, as they lost by two goals to one away against a very strong Barnsley side. Once again, Keith Hill’s men found it impossible to keep things tight at the back, though their efforts going forward were very encouraging. On that occasion, Dale did find the net, while they mustered 2.04 expected goals for. A similar showing against a lesser defensive side in Walsall would surely see Hill’s men thrive in the final third.

If there’s one thing that Walsall and Rochdale have in common, it’s defensive instability. Both teams can make things happen in the final third, but both have clear defensive deficiencies. As a result of this, both are likely to see this a very winnable game, which means that there could be shortage of attacking. Keeping this in mind, ‘Over 2.5 Goals’ stands out. When we consider that Walsall have surrendered an average of 1.66 expected goals for, alongside the fact that Plymouth have shipped an average of 1.64 on their travels, it’s easy to fancy a high-scoring game unfolding at Bescot Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Factor in the fact that there’s been an average of over three goals in both Walsall’s home games and Plymouth’s away games this season and ‘Over 2.5 Goals’ becomes tough to resist at what is a slightly generous-looking price.