Burton Albion vs Port Vale Prediction & Betting Tips

Port Vale make the trip to Burton Albion to play in what will be a crucial clash at the bottom of League One.

Date: 23/03/24

Kick-off time: 15:00

Venue: Pirelli Stadium

Both of these teams are languishing towards the bottom of the table, with relegation to League Two a big threat for the pair. Port Vale are in a much more dangerous position, sitting second bottom with nine games to go. They are currently six points off safety, though do have at least one game in hand on the teams they are chasing. They are by no means dead and buried, but victory against fellow strugglers Burton Albion seems like a must. Three points could move them above Cheltenham in 21st, and three points behind their opponents. A loss would plunge them into deeper trouble, with little chance of making it out. Their biggest issue is that they cannot buy a win from anywhere, as they are yet to record victory in 2024. The last win was a 3-0 result against Blackpool at the end of December, and even the sacking of manager Andy Crosby at the beginning of February could not provide a spark.

Burton Albion, in contrast, occupy 19th, and are four points above the drop zone. They have not picked up a win in a month. Both teams struggle for goals, as they have scored a combined four goals in their last six. If either side is to find the back of the net, it will likely be through Joe Powell or Mark Helm, who are Albion’s top scorers with four, or Ben Garrity who leads the way for Port Vale with eight.

This will be just the 19th meeting between the two sides, and the hosts edge it with eight wins to Port Vale’s six. The reverse fixture earlier this season ended in the favour of Burton, as they won 3-2. They also faced each other twice in the FA Cup, with their first round tie ending 0-0 before Port Vale were victorious in the replay.

Burton Albion

Martin Paterson should have a fit squad to choose from with no new injury concerns.

Port Vale

Defender Tom Sang missed the last game through injury so his availability is in doubt. Manager Darren Moore has no new injury concerns to contend with.

Burton Albion

In their last five games, Burton Albion have lost four and drawn one. Burton have been in a dreadful run of form, which has left them in a precarious position in the table. Their most recent game was a trip to Exeter City, who sit just a few places above them. They lost 1-0, with a first half Reece Cole strike the winning goal. The visitors played the entire second half with an extra man, but could not find the equaliser.

This followed a narrow 2-1 defeat at league leaders Portsmouth, though the game was not as close the final scoreline suggests. Kusini Yengi converted from the spot to put the hosts ahead on the stroke of half-time, before he struck again to double the lead. John Brayford pulled one back with ten minutes to go with his side’s only shot on target, but they were unable to mount a comeback. They lost again the week before, this time against Peterborough. They were dominated in possession, enjoying just 25% of the ball, but were close to leaving with a point. The visitors opened the scoring shortly after the restart through Ricky-Jade Jones, though this was cancelled out by Ademola Ola-Adebomi with 20 minutes remaining. With the game headed for a draw, Peterborough scored a winner in the 88th minute to crush the home fans. They added another deep into stoppage time to put the game to bed.

Their only point in this stretch came away at fellow strugglers Cheltenham. The hosts had more of the ball, but failed to register a shot on target. Burton had two shots on goal, but could also not find a breakthrough in the 0-0 draw. This followed a 1-0 home loss to Carlisle. It was a very even game with little to split the teams, but Paul Huntington’s first half strike proved to be the difference.

Port Vale

In their last five games, Port Vale have lost three and drawn two. Having not won since late December, Port Vale are in the midst of a terrible stretch. This period of games began with a 2-2 draw at home to Fleetwood, in which they blew a two-goal lead very late on. Jensen Weir and Ethan Chislett gave them a comfortable cushion at half-time, and this was an advantage they held on to until the 88th minute. They seemed to heading for a crucial win, but Jayden Stockley pulled one back to put the pressure on. He then completed a brace in the third minute of stoppage time to steal a point.

They were unable to bounce back as they took on second place Derby County. The Rams were ahead very early on as Kacper Lopata converted into his own net. Dwight Gayle struck before half-time to give them a commanding lead. Their dominance continued into the second half as Louis Sibley added a third. Another loss followed, though their 2-1 defeat at home to Shrewsbury was a lot closer. Port Vale enjoyed more possession, but fell behind in the sixth minute. This deficit was doubled just after the restart by Tom Bloxham. Baylee Dipepa pulled one back, but they were unable to find an equaliser. Though they were left still looking for a win, they managed to hold Leyton Orient to a 0-0 draw away from home to pick up an important point. Their most recent game was against Oxford United, but their search for a victory continues as they lost 2-0.

Both teams are in dreadful form and are desperate for three points in the fight for survival. This should be a closely contested affair and it could go either way. However, we expect Burton Albion to use their home advantage and edge it to pick up a much needed victory – Burton Albion 1-0 Port Vale

Don’t forget to check out the rest of our previews, tips and offers for this weekend’s action. Footy Accumulators is the #1 football betting site for the latest on betting in the UK - download the Betting Hub app for more!

Burton Albion vs Port Vale will not be available to watch on TV in the UK. However, you can follow the action on BBC Sport and Sky Sports.

• Latest match predictions
• Football tips
• Football accumulator tips
• Football bet of the day