Poll: Voters believe Obama will win debates

Voters believe President Obama will win the upcoming debates with Mitt Romney, according to an ABC News/Washington Post poll released two days before the first face-to-face match up.

Obama and Romney will debate Wednesday at the University of Denver. Both sides have been working to lower expectations for the face-offs, which will be viewed by millions of people this month.

Registered voters by 2 to 1, or 56% to 29%, believe Obama will prevail over Romney in the debates, the ABC/Washington Postpoll finds.

The presidential race itself, however, remains too close to call: Obama leads Romney by 2 percentage points among likely voters across the nation, according to the survey.

Obama has a bigger advantage in the swing states where the race is being fought the hardest. Obama leads Romney 52% to 41% among likely voters in these battlegrounds, according to the ABC News/Washington Post survey.

Romney and his allies have been playing down the polls, focusing instead on taking their message directly to voters. Romney has said he will do well if Americans understand the choice that faces them.