Football Bet of the Day: Both teams can get involved in League One clash

The final League One game before Christmas sees highflying Birmingham take on Crawley, who are scrapping it out at the other end of the table.

The Red Devils would pull themselves out of the relegation zone with a win while the Blues will go top of the table if they secure all three points.

Football Odds

Both teams to score @ 5/6

Crawley had a poor start to the season but after Rob Elliot’s arrival in the dugout following Scott Lindsey’s departure, the former Gateshead manager has steadied the ship somewhat.

The Red Devils have now lost just one of their last six league games, a 4-3 defeat to Peterborough last time out and they have found their goalscoring feet under Elliot, netting 24 times in his 15 games in charge in all competitions.

They do face a tough test against this Birmingham side, however. The Blues shattered third-tier spending records in the summer and have been duly rewarded with an impressive start to life in League One.

The visitors have won 13 of their 18 league games and are just two points behind table-toppers Wycombe with two games in hand on the Chairboys.

This game will be an interesting stylistic matchup between the two teams with the highest possession stats in the division this season.

Birmingham top the tables for possession with a whopping 69.3 percent of the ball while,  despite their league position, Crawley are second with 59.2.

Their possession-based approach was key to their recruitment process for a new manager and Rob Elliot has continued that approach, which he favoured during his time at Gateshead.

Birmingham should dominate the ball this time around but they have not found things as easy on the road as they have at home, their two league defeats having both come on their travels.

In fact, they have not beaten a promoted team away from home in their last 10 attempts, losing seven and drawing three of those.

That stat tempers enthusiasm for the Blues, particularly at such a restrictive price, and the best bet may be for both teams to score.

Both teams have found the net in six of Birmingham’s last eight away games and Crawley have been much better recently. They could well end up on the scoresheet in what is likely to be a fervent atmosphere at a sold-out Broadfield Stadium.

Match odds, Crawley Town vs Birmingham City

Birmingham are favourites at 2/5 to register the win, while Crawley are available at 7/1, with the draw at 18/5.

Over 2.5 goals is expected at 8/13, with the unders priced at 6/5, while both teams finding the back of the net is 5/6, with at least one clean sheet also priced at 5/6.

Football Bet Of the Day from Betfred Insights.