Bitesize Prediction: Crawley vs Charlton – 05/09/23

Competition: EFL Trophy

Market: Both teams to score

Odds: 2/3 @ 1xBet

In what could prove to be a lively EFL Trophy showdown from the Broadfield Stadium on Tuesday night, Charlton will make the trip to Crawley.

Starting with the hosts, while Crawley might have just about clung to their League Two status last season, it appears that Scott Lindsey’s men are bracing themselves for another relegation scrap this time around. Dealing with a string of public issues behind the scenes at the Broadfield Stadium, the Red Devils have managed to muster just a single win from any of their previous six appearances across all formats. Despite claiming a crucial 2-1 win at home against MK Dons last month, it looks like that might have just been a minor boost for the Sussex-based outfit. Despite being last over the weekend playing out a thrilling 3-3 stalemate away at Stockport, Lindsey will have a mounting headache over his side’s extended issues at the back. Blown away thanks to a 6-0 drumming at the hands of Swindon on August 26th, the midweek hosts have now shipped nine strikes in just their last two League Two appearances. It should also be highlighted, Crawley have failed to muster a single clean sheet from their previous six outings.

As for the visitors, managing to make what was a crucial return to winning ways over the weekend as they eventually snatched a 2-1 victory at home against Fleetwood, it is no secret that Charlton are seeking some much-needed stability. Coming under a huge amount of scrutiny since opening up the 2023/24 campaign, interim boss Jason Pearce knows that he has a major job on his hands. In fact, signing off August with a 2-1 loss away at Oxford, the Addicks have lost five of their previous six appearances across all formats. With their extended struggle underlined by a 3-1 drumming at the hands of Newport last month, the Reds have shown their own rather glaring defensive struggles. Mustering just a single clean sheet since getting proceedings underway, Charlton will be desperate to make an early EFL Trophy statement here. However, including that 2-1 loss against Oxford last week, it should be highlighted that Tuesday’s guests have lost each of their previous three showdowns on the road by an aggregate score of 6-2.

Bet: Both teams to score at Crawley vs Charlton 2/3 for Tuesday’s EFL Trophy matchup @ 1xBet