Top meets bottom in League Two as runaway leaders Walsall travel to Brunton Park to face a Carlisle United side boosted by their derby win last Thursday.
League Two
Our Three Predictions For Carlisle United vs Walsall:
- First Prediction For Carlisle United vs Walsall: Match Result – Draw – 9/4
- Second Prediction For Carlisle United vs Walsall: Under 2.5 Goals – 33/50
- Third Prediction For Carlisle United vs Walsall: Half-Time Result – Carlisle United – 11/4
First Prediction For Carlisle United vs Walsall: Match Result – Draw – 9/4
Looking at the table, this game should only end with one winner. But recent form suggests otherwise, with Carlisle unbeaten in three as Mark Hughes has begun to stamp his authority on the Cumbrians. His first victory in charge, against Barrow last Thursday, moves them to within three points of safety, a position they could occupy as soon as Tuesday evening with three points. His side will have also had two more days of rest to prepare for this encounter, giving them an edge over the league leaders who are winless in two following two wins on the bounce. Mat Sadler needs an instant response from his squad in this meeting, but he is unlikely to find one given the Cumbrians recent revival. Walsall have the second best away record in the division, but have won one of their last five away from home, losing three of them. This one looks like ending level.
Second Prediction For Carlisle United vs Walsall: Under 2.5 Goals – 33/50
Walsall may have hit a bump in the road on their quest for League One football, but they still remain the divisions leading scorers. The Saddlers are still eleven clear of their nearest competitors in that department with 63 for the campaign, but they have struggled a little more on the road. While not having the best overall defensive record, they rank second away from the West Midlands. Carlisle meanwhile have scored a dismal eleven in sixteen home encounters, the worst in the league. But their record in defence doesn’t actually rank as the worst, shipping 23. A low scoring encounter can certainly be anticipated, with Carlisle’s three successive clean sheets giving reason for that outcome.
Third Prediction For Carlisle United vs Walsall: Half-Time Result – Carlisle United – 11/4
It is well known in the fourth tier that Walsall are a much superior second-half outfit, therefore the opening 45 minutes leaves them sitting ninth in the standings. They have led just ten of their 34 outings in League Two this term, sitting a full twenty points behind their tally for the whole game. Carlisle are the opposite of their midweek opponents, moving up three places in the standings in the opening period of games. They have led two more games than their actual tally, while they sit ten points clear, with a far greater goal difference too. While Carlisle will have to put in an exceptional performance to take all three points, they may lead at the break.
Best Odds For Carlisle United vs Walsall
| Bookmaker | Carlisle United | Draw | Walsall |
| MyriadPlay | 53/25 | 9/4 | 21/20 |
| Gentleman Jim | 21/20 | 12/5 | 11/10 |
| Betarno | 21/20 | 9/4 | 21/20 |
The table above shows the latest odds from leading football betting websites.
Full Preview Of The Game: Last Results And Head-To-Head:
Mark Hughes picked up his first three points as Carlisle manager on Thursday evening as his side completed a league double over fierce rivals Barrow. Matthew Dennies netted the game’s only goal, ending the Cumbrians’ 374-minute goal drought that stretched back to a loss against Grimsby earlier in February. The gap to safety now stands at just three points, with the Blues having a game in hand and superior goal difference over Tranmere in 22nd.
They are now three games unbeaten, following consecutive stalemates against Gillingham and Colchester, also keeping a clean sheet three games in a row. 2025 had otherwise been a dismal, winning only one other outing against Fleetwood towards the end of January. Seven losses from eight had left the Cumbrian side at the bottom of League Two, with six of them defeats coming by only a single goal. The outlier in that run was a 5-1 thrashing by Swindon, in what turned out to be Mike Williamson’s final game in charge as he was sacked on deadline day 48 hours later.
Walsall may remain top of League Two, but their 2025 form remains patchy at best. The Saddlers still look set for promotion to the third tier, with a nine-point gap over fourth place Notts County, but that continues to shrink. Second place Bradford have closed the deficit to just four points now, following Swindon’s one goal win at the Poundland Bescot Stadium on Saturday and the Bantams late show at Salford.
It appeared that Mat Sadler’s side had recovered from their blip in form after recording consecutive victories last month, and they look set for a third win in a row last Tuesday evening. But Cheltenham scored twice in stoppage time to take an unlikely point, which, coupled with the weekend loss, has revived fears of another drop in form. They had a five-game winless run earlier in the year, losing to Bradford and Fleetwood without scoring, also being defeated by Colchester in that time.
Walsall will be hoping to continue their recent good form against Carlisle, currently standing at five games unbeaten. They have also won six more games than the Cumbrians over the course of the history of this fixture, although 21 of the 67 outings have ended level. The Saddlers won the midweek encounter earlier in the campaign, scoring at crucial times to record a 3-1 win. That was thanks to an early Nathan Lowe goal and two quick-fire strikes at the beginning of the second period.
Confrontation |
Where To Watch Carlisle United vs Walsall:
Where can I watch the game, either on TV or in person?
- Location: Brunton Park, Carlisle
- Date: 4th March, 2025
- TV Channel: Sky Sports+
Probable Lineups For Carlisle United vs Walsall:
Predicted Carlisle United Lineup:
- Lineup: Breeze, Harper, Thomas, Lavelle, Davies, Whelan, Guy, Harris, Embleton, Scott, Dennis
- Suspended/Injured: Jones, Kelly, Wyke, Dummett
- Coach: Mark Hughes
Predicted Walsall Lineup:
- Lineup: Simkin, Allen, Okagbue, McEntee, Gordon, Stirk, Comley, Jellis, Barrett, Harrison, Matt
- Suspended/Injured: Daniels, Earing, Hall, Farquharson
- Coach: Mat Sadler
