League 2 
The battle for League Two playoff positions intensifies this Saturday as MK Dons host Crewe Alexandra at Stadium MK. Both sides are currently sitting comfortably in the top six and are separated by goal difference, making this a crucial encounter with significant implications for their promotion aspirations.
The hosts currently find themselves in 5th position in the table, having gained 64 points from their 38 league games this season. The Dons are just two points behind the automatic promotion places however they have played more games than all of the sides that are around them.
Mike Williamson’s side come into this week on the back of an inconsistent run of form which has seen them record three victories and two defeats from theri last five league outings.
The Dons suffered a frustrating defeat on Tuesday evening as they were defeated 1-0 by relegation threatened Grimsby Town. Despite having 79% of possession, it was Grimsby who had the majority of the game’s chances and scored the winner in the 33rd minute thanks to Justin Obikwu.
Crewe are sitting on 4th place in the table and they are level on points with the hosts. Similarly to the Dons, Crewe come into this game on the back of an inconsistent run of form which has seen them record two victories and two defeats from their last five games.
The Railwaymen recorded an unconvincing victory over bottom-of-the-league Sutton United when they were last in action on Tuesday evening. The only goal of the game was scored in the 71st minute thanks to Elliott Nevitt.
The clash between MK Dons and Crewe is a relatively recent addition, their initial encounter occurring in the FA Cup in 2007, just three years after MK Dons' establishment. Across 16 matches, Crewe has a slightly superior record, emerging victorious in seven games, while MK Dons have won six.
It was Crewe who recorded a convincing victory when these two sides met each other earlier on in the campaign. Crewe Alexandra fought back from behind to record a 3-1 victory. The Railwaymen trailed 1-0 at the break after Jonathan Leko struck for the visitors. But Conor Thomas, Courtney Baker-Richardson and Christopher Long were on target in a superb second-half display to record Crewe's second win of the season.
It is the home side who are heavily favoured at the bookies ahead of this weekend’s matchup and they are currently odds on @ 10/11, whilst an away win for Crewe is priced @ 13/5 and a draw is also @ 13/5.
We are backing MK Dons to win and over 2.5 goals in the game because this is a fixture that often produces exciting, high scoring games. All three of the past meetings between the sides have resulted in over 2.5 goals, with an average of four goals per game.
Despite their defeat in midweek, we believe that MK Dons are likely to win here because of their impressive record at Stadium MK. The Dons are undefeated in their last six home games, of which they have won five, including victories over promotion chasing Gillingham and Wimbledon.