Colchester vs Reading Prediction & Betting Tips (13 August)

Winning away games was something that Reading did regularly towards the back end of last season, with the eventual runners-up securing five victories in their final eight trips. Colchester, by way of contrast, ran into plenty of difficulties on their own patch, suffering four defeats in seven top-flight fixtures, so they have little reason for optimism ahead of this clash.

Reading ended the previous campaign with a bang, but they have not been the same swashbuckling side so far this season, as each of their last nine games has produced three goals or fewer. This has also been the case in 16 of the most recent 18 Colchester home matches at this level, including in 10 in a row of late, so under 3.5 goals are expected here.

Reading have been involved in some pretty entertaining encounters recently, with seven of their previous eight top-flight matches producing goals at both ends of the pitch. Given that eight of the last ten Colchester games at this level have followed the same pattern, it would come as a bit of a surprise were either keeper to emerge from this contest with a clean sheet.