League Two Midweek Tips: Sutton look cute on Valentine's

• Bradford must grow out of being Spursy

• Stevenage have average away form

• Grimsby still suffering Cup fatigue

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Take Gray's men to have the edge

Sutton 2.47/5 v Swindon 3.412/5; the draw 3.55/2

After another five draws from Saturday's 12 games, it is easy to see the potential for more in many fixtures on Valentine's Day. However, I think Sutton's record at Gander Green Lane might just see them pinch three points.

Matt Gray's men might not be enjoying the 'close to the playoffs' success of last season, but they are in solid mid-table thanks to League Two's fourth best home record on points: eight wins and three draws (with three defeats).

Perhaps the red card for captain and midfielder Craig Eastmond, late in the first half when they were 2-0 up, cost them all three points on Saturday at Hartlepool, when the hosts then netted twice before the break.

The south Londoners drew with high-flying Stevenage on their last home outing and before that beat AFC Wimbledon, Gillingham and Colchester who have all shown improvements in form in recent months.

Re-signing David Ajiboye on loan from Peterborough (he played for Sutton for three years previously) has proved a cute move: the winger has two goals already. Lee Angol, recruited from Bradford in January, scored his first for the club on Saturday.

Gray had sufficient confidence in all his backline to give them new contracts in January and there is a slight possibility, even from 13th, that Sutton could reach the playoff places soon: they are only four points off.

Swindon, meanwhile, seem to be slipping a little, having sniffed the top seven places in recent weeks. A home defeat to Doncaster on Saturday seems like a surprise result but if that's their current condition under the new voice of Jody Morris they will find Sutton a tough place to visit.

Only three points off the top seven themselves, losing their last two away - at Newport and Colchester - does not embed confidence. Their price says as much. At least they have in-form Gillingham a battle for a 3-3 draw at home.

Even with Charlie Austin giving them free impetus up front, I am included to think that the hosts can exploit any frailties and doubts Swindon are carrying at present. Even if I think they have the abilities to come good in the final third of the season.

Experienced Bradford must start to rise

Bradford 2.447/5 v Tranmere 3.55/2; the draw 3.412/5

Bradford should have their own moniker like Tottenham ("Spursy") for their inconsistency, wrote one local reviewer after Mark Hughes' men won at Stevenage. "Bantamsy" was that writer'a attempt. It doesn't quite trip off the tongue, but there is no doubt that Bradford have frustrated their followers for far too long.

They managed to overcome all sorts of apparently unassailable statistics (Stevenage had several clean sheets at home in row and don't lose after scoring first, etc). They were also awarded a penalty - for the sort of infringement that Hughes claims he doesn't often see in this division.

Hughes knows his squad has vast experience and shouldn't still be 11 points behind second-placed Stevenage. Bradford made plenty of positive noises before the season started. Now we will see the whites of their eyes for the run-in to the end of the season.

Can skipper Richie Smallwood, and Matt Devonshire, use the experiences of their combined 2,268 career game appearances to steer their side to at least the playoffs? How quickly can Andy Cook turn his 15 goals into 20 to propel them to victories, rather than the three draws that preceded Saturday's triumph?

The hosts need to go for the jugular now. No more goalless draws (only AFC Wimbledon's six tops their five). They must put Tranmere to the sword before Micky Mellon's men think a victory every three games and throwing in a couple of draws is sufficient to ponder a leap from 11th to seventh.

Kieron Morris scored once - almost twice - when Tranmere saw off Salford on Saturday. However, Rovers have not picked up a point on the road in three matches, despite Morris and top scorer Kane Hemmings scoring twice at Stockport. I'm going for a low scoring home win.

Coughlan's side can hold Stevenage

Newport 3.211/5 v Stevenage 2.68/5; the draw 3.412/5

Newport might have pulled off two straight wins against "promotion chasing" sides Swindon and Barrow. And they might have had some aid as both sides had a player sent off (Barrow after 81 minutes, Mickey Demetriou then netting the only goal in injury time).

Whether they can disrupt Stevenage, however, is another matter. Swindon and Barrow are on the periphery of the playoff positions, when Steve Evans' visitors have flip-flopped as favourites in the League Two winners' market in recent weeks, despite only ever being second in the table.

A reason to be cautious about Boro's chances of a win here is not their home defeat to Bradford on Saturday or having any sort of hangover from their FA Cup run. It is simply that their away form, by League Two's standards, is average.

They have 19 points on the road is about 10th best. They might have only been beaten twice but have just four wins - and seven draws.

Their last six away games have reaped five draws and a win, 1-0 thanks to Jordan Roberts at Doncaster, while Danny Rose, Jake Reeves and Carl Piergianni have netted in separate scoring draws. The others have been goalless.

Newport boss Graham Coughlan is quite rightly looking up the table rather than worrying about relegation, after his side have collected nine points from six games and 16 points from 10.

Calum Kavanagh said he was determined to make a name for himself after signing from Middlesbrough on loan and did exactly that on his debut, netting the winner against Swindon. All they need now is for teenager Charlie McNeill, on loan from Manchester United, to score and any amount of rising up the table could come from renewed confidence. A point might well ensue.

Gillingham worth backing again

Gillingham 2.6413/8 v Grimsby 3.211/5; the draw 3.211/5

I could well be underestimating the "Tuesday night shock factor" here, especially given the heady heights Grimsby achieved last week when beating Luton in their FA Cup replay.

However, they have lost five of their last six away games in League Two (winning last time out at Crewe who are not in great shape), thereby handing the initiative to Gillingham, whose price therefore seems quite generous.

A midweek trip to Kent to face a side who have made great progress in the past month or so is not what Paul Hurst's team needs. Defender Niall Maher has spoken of their "mental battle" after the defeat to Colchester. The FA Cup is still on their mind.

Neil Harris' side are still in the bottom two, of course, and need points rather more urgently. Tom Nichols has started scoring. So has Tim Dieng. There's a lot to like about their new spirit, as long as they can integrate quite a few January signings. The hosts should prevail.