Carlisle United v Walsall: Free Tips, Prediction and Odds

Carlisle United are starting to show some fight in their battle against the drop and are fancied to defeat leaders Walsall at Brunton Park.

The Cumbrians have been in the relegation places since mid-October but looked far from resigned to their fate on Thursday when registering a hard-fought 1-0 victory away to rivals Barrow.

They remain bottom of the pile and have a lot more work ahead of them but are approaching the Walsall game with confidence on the rise.

While Carlisle are battling to remain a fourth tier side, Walsall are doing their utmost to elevate themselves to League One.

The Saddlers have topped the table since early December but they have gone through a sticky patch in recent times and endured a disappointing weekend, losing 1-0 at home to Swindon.

Carlisle United v Walsall free betting tips and predictions

Carlisle to win - 5/2

Bottom side Carlisle are unbeaten in their last three matches and their mini-revival can be extended by a home win over Walsall.

As one of the better resourced teams in League Two, Carlisle should be nowhere near the foot of the table.

However, their season has lurched from one crisis to another and they find themselves in the thick of a desperate battle for survival.

The good news for Carlisle fans is that their team seems to be responding to the calm leadership of experienced manager Mark Hughes, who joined the club four weeks ago.

Hughes started his tenure with a pair of narrow losses away to Grimsby (1-2) and Newport (0-1) before following with goalless draws against Colchester and Gillingham.

Carlisle performed well against the latter pair without getting the victory they craved, but their luck changed on Thursday when Matt Dennis’ 19th-minute goal handed them a vital 1-0 win at Barrow.

There were wild celebrations at the final whistle and the sudden surge of positivity could have a massive impact on the club’s survival hopes.

Taking on the league leaders will be a tougher challenge but Carlisle are gaining momentum at a time when Walsall seem to be losing theirs.

Walsall won nine League Two games on the spin between early December and mid-January to put themselves 12 points clear at the head of affairs.

However, they took maximum points just twice in the next nine matches and their recent wobbles are offering plenty of encouragement to the chasing pack.

Goals have dried up since on-loan Stoke striker Nathan Lowe was recalled by his parent club and Walsall’s defensive stability seems to have disappeared.

The Saddlers had to suck up a 2-2 draw at Cheltenham last Tuesday after conceding two injury-time goals, and they followed that with a disappointing performance in Saturday’s 1-0 loss at home to Swindon.

Matt Sadler’s side make the long trip north with the aim of steadying the ship but they are up against a resurgent Carlisle, who look decent value at 5/2 to secure another massive three points.

Matt Dennis to score the first goal - 17/2

Carlisle have lacked a cutting edge for much of the season but January signing Matt Dennis made the difference with a superb finish against Barrow and he could stay on the scoring trail.

Dennis was released by MK Dons, where he was deemed surplus to requirements.

However, the 22-year-old has untapped potential and looks a worthwhile 17/2 wager to break the deadlock for a second successive game.

Under 1.5 Walsall goals - 4/6

Carlisle have kept three successive clean sheets and their improved defending could be key to extending their unbeaten run.

The Cumbrians were well organised in last week’s success at Barrow and they can frustrate the Saddlers, who are unlikely to score more than one goal.

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Carlisle United v Walsall odds

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.