Luton Town vs Rochdale Predictions

Despite failing to win last time out, the Hatters continue to sit pretty at the top of League One, though manager Mick Harford may have been a little disappointed that his side struggled to create too many meaningful chances in front of both a home crowd and the Sky Sports cameras last Sunday. Rochdale are likely to offer less defensive resistance, though Saturday’s hosts will need to offer a bit more if they’re to score with the regularity that they’ve become accustomed to this season.

On the overall balance of play, Luton were a tad unfortunate not to come out on top last weekend; they did create more than their opponents, while it was them that set about trying to force the issue. However, given the reputation that they’ve built for themselves, the Hatters did disappoint in the sense that they didn’t bombard the opposition keeper with shots, nor did they create an abundance of clear-cut openings. Fortunately, a game against Rochdale provides the perfect opportunity for Harford’s men to make amends.

You only need to look at the fact that Luton, who’ve scored more home goals than any other League One team this season, have averaged 2.47 goals per home game to see that they’re a very good side going forward. Put this up against a Rochdale side that has conceded an average of 2.29 and it’s very, very easy to see the Hatters bouncing back with a bang on Saturday afternoon.

Defending has been a big problem for Rochdale this season, so we must fear for Keith Hill’s men ahead of their trip to Kenilworth Road. Recent away matches have seen Dale struggle against Doncaster, Barnsley and Peterborough, while they conceded no less than five goals away against Plymouth last weekend. If the Pilgrims are running riot against Saturday’s visitors, then Luton ought to have few problems thriving in the final third.

However, while Rochdale have shown few signs that suggest they can compete with Luton on Saturday, they have tended to do better offensively against sides that come on to them. The Hatters will do anything but sit back, so the counter will be a viable option for Dale, who have used the break to score away against top sides such as Barnsley and Sunderland this season. It would be a huge surprise if Keith Hill’s men keep their hosts quiet, but they shouldn’t be totally dismissed going the other way.

Siding with anything other than a bet that involves Luton to come out on top is tough to do, though there appears to be little value in backing the hosts to merely win. Instead, the most viable option looks to be ‘Luton Win & Both Teams to Score’. Coventry proved that Luton can be caught out at the back last weekend, while Rochdale have tended to offer a threat on the break against forward-thinking teams. However, the visitors lack the defensive quality to get a positive result, so backing them to concede on route to tasting yet another defeat is the way to go.