Rochdale vs Swindon Town
13 April 1900hrs
Football – England – League One
Pick Over 2.5 goals
Bookmaker Betvictor
Odds: Evens odds taken 2000 GMT, Monday 12 April
Bottom versus second bottom in League One on Tuesday as Rochdale host Swindon with both teams in urgent need of points to give themselves some hope of survival.
Table of Contents
Rochdale – Can ‘dale find just their second home win of the season as they bid to mount a great escape?
It really is last chance saloon for Rochdale and their hopes of maintaining their League One status. Rooted to the bottom of the division, Brian Barry-Murphy’s team are five points from safety but as they are playing the team directly above them then a defeat would almost spell the end considering there are just six games to come after this match, and you also have to take into account their form up until this point.
Rochdale come into this match searching for just their second home win of the campaign. Nobody would have thought when beating Fleetwood at the Crown Oil Arena in October that they would not have picked up another home victory in that time.
Since then it’s been nine defeats and eight draws. Barry-Murphy will take something from the fact that his team have drawn with Peterborough and Ipswich in their two most recent home games but it’s now reached the stage where it’s all about wins. Starting in this bottom of the table encounter.
Wins in general have been hard to come by and that’s no surprise for a team who are at the foot of the table. In their last 14 games Rochdale have managed only one win – a 2-1 victory away to Lincoln City a month ago.
Swindon Town Preview – Will Swindon bounce back from three straight defeats and keep in touch with their relegation rivals?
John Sheridan elected to make the switch from Wigan Atheltic to become manager of Swindon back in November and that could yet prove to be a really poor decision on behalf of the Irishman. Swindon currently sit below Sheridan’s former employers in the table entering into what is going to be a really chaotic closing month of the season down the bottom of League One.
Saturday’s 3-0 home defeat to Peterborough was Swindon’s third successive lost and their seventh in the last nine games. It’s relegation form by any standard and unless there is a dramatic turnaround then that’s exactly how it’s going to end for Sheridan and his players.
Don’t miss out on other Betting Tips & Predictions
Click here for more Betting Tips
Swindon’s fate remains very much in their own hands with just two points between themselves and AFC Wimbledon in 20th and ultimate safety. However they have played a game more than that rival and that terrible run of form they are in does little to convince you they have what it takes to go on a run.
Sheridan will have to find a way shore things up at the back with his team boasting the worst defensive record in League One, with 72 goals shipped in 40 matches.
Rochdale vs Swindon Town Betting Advice
It’s been dire straits for both Rochdale and Swindon throughout the season but this does have the makings of giving much-needed hope to one and perhaps condemning the other. It is so tight at the bottom of League One with seven points between the bottom six so nothing will be decided tomorrow but it will certainly impact on what’s ahead.
Swindon won the first meeting of the season between the sides, a comfortable 3-1 win. They’ll hope to do the double in this one.
Key Facts – Rochdale vs Swindon Town Betting Tip
- Rochdale’s only home win in the league so far this season came back in October (2-1 against Fleetwood)
- Swindon’s hopes of survival have reduced dramatically following seven defeats in their last nine
- It was a 3-1 win for Swindon when the teams met each other earlier in the campaign
It’s hard to have confidence in either of these teams such is their poor form. Instead, I’m inclined to focus on the goal markets. It’s the two worst defences in the division so we can expect goals. The last eight meetings between the two have had three or more goals in them and I’m taking this to be nine-in-a-row.
Best Betting Odds for Rochdale vs Swindon Town
