The match

Matchday 19 of the third tier in English football sees fourth-place Bradford City looking to make it three wins on the bounce when they host third-place Northampton in a match which could have a big impact on the promotion race. Bradford’s 2-0 away win against Sutton United last weekend moved the Bantam’s record to 9-6-3 on the season which puts them on 33 points and two points behind their opponents today. They’re up against a Northampton team that is coming off a 2-0 away win over Gillingham last weekend to move the Cobblers record to 10-5-3 on the season and put an end to a three match winless run. The visitors have been an excellently consistent team regardless of the venue as Northampton have the third-best away record in the division at 5-3-1.

Northampton are dealt a huge blow for this fixture as they will be without star striker and League Two leading scorer Sam Hoskins after reaching the yellow card limit. The 29-year-old has been instrumental in Northampton’s promotion charge and his 13 strikes have resulted in the Cobbers being the highest scoring team in the league with 31 goals. His absence will certainly come as welcomed news for Mark Hughes’ Bradford side who have built up their impressive first half of the season through their strong defensive displays. The Bantam’s are tied for the second-best record in the division with only 14 goals conceded in their 18 matches so far. Interestingly, Bradford have seen much better results away from Valley Parade this season where they have managed just three wins in nine matches compared to six wins from nine away trips.

Key Statistics

Both teams have scored in 11 of Northampton’s 18 matches this season and nine of Bradford’s 18 matches. ¿

Both Bradford and Northampton have each scored in four of their last five fixtures.

Four of the last six meetings between these two teams have ended with both teams scoring.

The bet of our experts

We’re going to back both teams to score in this match. The absence of Sam Hoskins for the visitors certainly hurts but this Northampton side has shown enough attacking impetus this season where they should still be able to net one. The hosts have been in good scoring form as well with four goals in their last two matches. With a strong 1.44 expected goals per home match, the Bantams should also find themselves getting on the scoresheet.

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