Build-up: Lincoln look to tighten grip as Bradford hunt resurgence
Lincoln City head into this Round 29 fixture at the LNER Stadium buoyed by a fine run of form and the comforts of home, while Bradford City arrive with flashes of quality but a roller-coaster recent record. The bookies make Lincoln favourites at 1.97, with the draw trading around 3.30 and an away win available at 3.85 — a snapshot that reflects Lincoln’s consistency and Bradford’s unpredictability. Referee Stephen Parkinson will take charge at Sincil Bank, where Lincoln have turned home advantage into tangible results this season.
Form, recent meetings and tactical feel
Lincoln’s recent sequence reads like a team that knows how to grind results: wins over Burton Albion and a 5-2 demolition of Peterborough United stand out, and their last five results show a side capable of both scoring freely and keeping things tight. Bradford’s pattern is less stable — they have impressive wins, like the 2-1 at Blackpool, but also damaging defeats such as the 3-0 loss at Mansfield and a narrow reverse to Huddersfield in their last outing. The earlier H2H in October finished goalless, but that clean sheet tells only part of the story; both clubs have shifted momentum since then.
Statistically this shapes into an enticing goal market contest. Lincoln’s home record shows 28 goals scored and a healthy tendency to see both teams on the scoresheet in their own stadium (bttsHomePerc 66.67%). Bradford are no strangers to matches over 2.5 goals away from home (over25Perc 57.69%), and their overall profile includes an attacking output that can punish conceding teams. Both sides have eight clean sheets each this campaign, but the balance of attacking opportunity — total shots and shots inside the box — suggests chances will come.
How this plays out and where value lies
Expect Lincoln to set the tempo without being overwhelmingly dominant; their attacksAverage and dangerousAttacksAverage show controlled forward play, while Bradford’s numbers hint at threat on the break. The odds favour a home win but don’t entirely rule out a lively, open contest. Punters who like to time goal markets should consider that both sides have been involved in matches with multiple goals recently — and that suggests Over 2.5 could be the more attractive angle than simply backing a single 1X2 outcome.
For readers wanting to refine their approach to goal wagers, see this piece on The right time to place bets on goal markets. If you’re also weighing market types more broadly, consider reading What does it mean the handicap market in sports betting? to expand your toolkit.
Betting suggestion Back the goal market: Over 2.5 goals. The combination of Lincoln’s potent home scoring, Bradford’s tendency toward open away games, and both teams’ over-2.5 percentages gives this market the clearest value edge for the fixture.
