Football Bet of the Day: In-form Rams to prove too strong for visitors

Looking to continue their almost two-month long League One unbeaten streak, Derby County could prove to be too much for in-form Lincoln City on Thursday night.

Paul Warne’s Derby have been one of the in-form sides in the third tier of late, with an FA Cup defeat at home to Crewe the only blemish on what has been an otherwise stellar final two months of the year.

Since a 3-1 loss to fellow promotion hopefuls Stevenage just before Halloween, The Rams have gone on a run of one defeat in 10 across all competitions, a sequence that includes a 3-0 thumping of play-off chasing Barnsley.

It may be too early to class this game as a play-off decider, but a positive result for either side could have large effects on the league table come May.

These two sides have already faced off at Pride Park earlier this season, with goals from Tom Barkhuizen and Louie Sibley handing the Rams a 2-0 win in the EFL Trophy.

That victory was Derby’s second against Lincoln City in five meetings, stretching back to 2004, with their only prior success coming in the Carling Cup in 2008.

The Rams should feel confident in chalking up another victory, although the Imps have lost just one of their last six league games away from home.

Lincoln have an equal record on the road in terms of wins, draws and losses, with four of each result recorded, and they have kept clean sheets in each of their last three league trips on the road.

However, the form guide would suggest a side stuttering, as draws with Wigan and more recently with Reading either side of a defeat to League Two Accrington in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy means it is three games without a win for Michael Skubala’s side.

Derby lost their first two home games of the season but since that poor start in August, they have made Pride Park a fortress in the third tier, with zero defeats and five victories.

One of the greatest assets the Rams have at home is their stellar defensive record, with only second and third placed Peterborough and Oxford matching Derby’s seven home goals conceded.

Paul Warne will still be missing an array of first-team players through injury for this top-half clash, as Korey Smith, Conor Washington, Ryan Nyambe, Elliot Embleton, Liam Thompson and Jake Rooney all remain in the treatment room.

Club top scorer James Collins is available, as is Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, who has 11 goal contributions in League One which puts him in the top 15 in the division.

Michael Skubala only has one long-term absentee in the form of Lewis Montsma, who suffered a cruciate ligament injury in March, whilst he may need to keep an eye on goalkeeper Lukas Jensen, top scorer Daniel Mandroiu and midfielder Ethan Erhahon, who are all one yellow card away from suspension.

This is a match Derby look well placed to win and having only conceded once across their last four matches in all competition, the Rams may record another shutout against a Lincoln side that have failed to net in their last two road games.

Check out our other Football Bet of the Day here.