Crystal Palace v Ipswich

Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Preview

Crystal Palace eased their way past London rivals and Championship outfit Millwall in last weekend's 5th round FA Cup tie at Selhurst Park as The Eagles registered a 3-1 home win but that victory came at a cost as their leading goalscorer, Jean Philippe Mateta, received numerous stitches following a sickening collision with the Millwall goalkeeper.

Ipswich Town were sent out of the FA Cup at the 5th round stage as the Tractor Boys held high-flyers Nottingham Forest to a 1-1 draw after extra-time but then came off second best in the penalty shoot-out that followed, leaving the visitors with just one win from their last nine matches in all competitions.

Crystal Palace are currently enjoying their best spell of form so far this season under Austrian manager Oliver Glasner as The Eagles have slipped to just two defeats within their previous 13 matches in all competitions, which came in the form of losses at the hands of Brentford and Everton, both in the Premier League.

However, Palace have also collected no fewer than nine wins within these previous 13 games which will give Saturday afternoon's hosts plenty of belief and confidence that they can grab all three points at Selhurst Park, especially as they recorded a comprehensive 4-1 win over Aston Villa last time out on home soil.

Ipswich Town slumped to a seventh defeat in nine games last weekend despite ending up all-square after 90 minutes and then extra-time with Premier League counterparts, Nottingham Forest, as the Suffolk outfit lost out on penalties.

The Tractor Boys will now turn their attention back to the vitally important business of attempting to avoid relegation from this season's Premier League but the odds look to be increasingly stacked against Kieran McKenna's side as the visitors have stumbled to six defeats within their last seven games.

Losses on the road at Liverpool 4-1 and Manchester United 3-2 were either side of a creditable point gained by way of a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa but time is starting to run out for Ipswich Town as they now find themselves five points adrift of fourth from bottom club, Wolves, and potential safety.

Ipswich have been involved in a number of draws so far this season (eight) but stalemates are no longer any good for the Tractor Boys, so the visitors will need to push further forward on the road in order to try and reduce the five-point deficit behind Wolves this Saturday.

Crystal Palace v Ipswich Town Verdict

Four out of the last six meetings between Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town have resulted in Over 2.5 goals, while Crystal Palace have also won the last four encounters on the trot.

Therefore, our main bet will be Over 2.5 goals @ 1.72

Other side bets worth considering:

Crystal Palace win & Over 2 goals @ 2.10

Correct Score: Crystal Palace 2-1 @ 9.00