Bradford v Fleetwood Betting Tips: Trawlermen not to be underestimated

The regular League One season has now come to a close but for four teams there is still work to be done. On Thursday night, Bradford play host to Fleetwood at Valley Parade as the two sides continue their battle for promotion.

Having spent the majority of their campaigns inside the top four or five in League One, both of these two have excelled this season and thus this is no easy fixture to call. However, in the betting, the visitors seem to have been massively underestimated ahead of this one. At the prices, both ‘Fleetwood Draw No Bet’ and ‘Fleetwood +1 Handicap’ catch the eye.

Of the teams that made the play-offs, Fleetwood, although they’re not the most flamboyant, nor the highest scorers, look the toughest to beat and can put their defensive solidity to good use here. In addition, this Fleetwood side have often thrived when they’re not the ones tasked with making the running and, therefore, playing this first-leg away from home should suit. The visitors are very much the sort of team who prefer to keep things tight and soak up pressure before springing on the counter and are thus fancied to excel in a fixture where Bradford are likely to come forward in front of their own fans.

Uwe Rosler’s men really have been extremely difficult to get the better of this season and it was no surprise that they ended the regular season having kept more clean sheets (20) than any other team in the division. Having shut out their opposition in 39% of their away matches, Rosler’s side also boast one of the best defensive records on the road.

Bradford are of course a useful outfit and they’re indeed unbeaten on their own patch this season, but they’ve drawn more games than they’ve won and haven’t always been convincing. If anyone can catch them out it’s Fleetwood – a team who during the second part of the season were able to upset both champions Sheffield United and play-off contenders Scunthorpe away from home.

In what is likely to be a tight, cagey affair, it’s worth siding with the visiting team whose rigid style has allowed them to make a habit of grinding out results in tough situations this season.

More League One play-off tips can be found here.