NTT20 Podcast Treble: Strong defences to hold sway for 15/2 wager

Tractor Boys with clean sheets

This Ipswich Town side under Kieran McKenna are one of the strongest defensive teams in memory.

They've conceded six goals in their last 17 league games, keeping 12 clean sheets in that time, and their last seven league wins have come without conceding.

Against a Cambridge side that have lost four of their last seven away games without scoring, I expect the Tractor Boys to enjoy the same level of control as they did against Plymouth Argyle last time out - where an Argyle side that had won six straight games didn't even muster a shot on target.

They are strong favourites to win this game: they have the form advantage, the talent advantage, the home advantage and surely the higher motivation. I am backing them to win without conceding.

Back Ipswich to win to nil against Cambridge at 2.01/1

Valiant effort enough at Barrow

Port Vale's form is strong - four wins in their last five, and a creditable draw against Exeter City.

What stands out about Vale is their defensive strength and consistency. They project as the best defence in the league in terms of xG against over the last 4, 8, 12 and 16 games - a period in which they've not once conceded more than a single goal in a match.

The Valiants have recently found their shooting boots, with 11 goals in their last 5 games.

Great news for Vale is that Manager Darrell Clarke returns to work after a period of absence - it's a phased return so initially he will be assisting interim Andy Crosby.

Up against the best defence in League Two? Barrow, who have scored the 2nd fewest goals scored over the course of the season.

This is a match between a team that's conceded 9 goals in their last 15 games, and one that's scored just 8 in 14.

Recently-appointed Phil Brown lost his first game in charge at Leyton Orient. Even if they do improve somewhat under Brown, they're still far weaker than one of the league's strongest teams.

Back Port Vale to beat Barrow at 2.255/4

Mellon's Rovers ripe for victory

Carlisle United had won six out of seven games before this midweek, five of them by a single goal. But having beaten Rochdale 2-0 on the 1st of March, they suffered a 0-2 reverse at Spotland on Tuesday, which suggested the Paul Simpson honeymoon period might be over.

While their improvement and rise up the table under Simpson has been impressive, it's not come in the form of dominating games, but edging tight affairs with big moments. They lost the shot count in four of the six victories, and while that's a crude statistic that lacks context in terms of the quality of chances created, it also suggests a spell of form that was unlikely to continue.

The bad news for Carlisle as they look to bounce back from defeat in midweek: no-one in the top four leagues has taken points at a higher rate than Tranmere Rovers on home turf.

In 15 games at home against teams eighth and below, Tranmere have won 14 of them. This could be one step too far for Simpson's Carlisle against the country's best home side.

Back Tranmere to beat Carlisle at 1.84/5