Oldham vs Walsall Prediction

Right then, let's have a proper gander at this League Two clash between Oldham and the league leaders Walsall. On paper, this looks like a classic case of top versus bottom half, but as we know in football, anything can happen on the day!

Walsall are sitting pretty at the summit of League Two with 35 points from 18 games, while Oldham are languishing down in 16th spot with just 23 points. That's a whopping 12-point gap between these two sides, and when you dig into the recent form, it gets even more telling.

The lads from Walsall have been absolutely brilliant on their travels this season - winning 83.33% of their away games! They're banging in 2.17 goals per game on the road while keeping things tight at the back with just 0.67 conceded. That's some serious away form that would make most teams tremble.

Oldham, meanwhile, have been a bit hit and miss at home. They've only won 33.33% of their recent home games, and while they can score (1.67 per game at home), they're also letting in 1.50. Their recent form shows they can be brilliant one minute (like that 3-0 win over Newport County) and then get hammered the next (that 6-2 mauling by Bolton in the EFL Trophy).

When you look at the recent results, Walsall have been flying. They've won their last three away games on the spin - 2-0 at Gateshead, 2-1 at Stevenage, and 2-0 at Harrogate Town. They also put four past Newport County away from home. Their only recent away slip-ups came against teams struggling near the bottom.

The head-to-head record doesn't make great reading for Oldham fans either - Walsall have won 4 of the 7 meetings between these two, though interestingly, both teams have scored in 6 of those 7 games.

What really catches my eye is the shot accuracy stats. Walsall are hitting the target with 43.2% of their shots, while Oldham are only managing 23.6%. That's a massive difference in clinical finishing, and it shows why Walsall are top of the league.

The bookies have got both teams priced at 2.62 for the win, which to me looks like they've not been paying attention to the form guide! Walsall should be much shorter odds given their league position, away form, and overall quality. Sometimes the bookies get it wrong, and this might just be one of those times.