Oxford United vs Ipswich Prediction

Right then, let's have a proper look at this one. Oxford United are in a right old mess at the bottom of the table, while Ipswich are flying high in the playoff spots. The gulf in class and form here is massive, mate.

Oxford have managed just 2 wins in their last 10 games, and those came against Sheffield Wednesday (who are propping up the table) and Derby. They did grab a decent 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough recently, but let's be honest - that looks like a bit of a fluke considering they got hammered 0-3 at home by Stoke and lost 2-1 to West Brom. At home, they're scoring just 1 goal per game while leaking 1.5. Not exactly fortress material, is it?

Ipswich, on the other hand, are a different kettle of fish entirely. They've lost only 2 of their last 10 and have been absolutely smashing teams away from home. Remember that 4-1 demolition of Swansea? Or the 4-1 hammering of QPR? They're averaging 2 goals per game on their travels and only conceding 1. Their stats are superior across the board - more shots, more possession, better accuracy. They're the real deal.

The head-to-head shows it's been tight historically with plenty of draws, but that was years ago when both teams were in different situations. Right now, form is everything, and Ipswich have it in spades.

Looking at the goal markets, this screams 'goals' to me. Ipswich are scoring for fun on the road, Oxford are leaking goals at home. The Poisson model suggests we'll see around 2.75 goals in this one, and given Ipswich's attacking prowess and Oxford's defensive woes, I reckon we'll see the net bulge at least three times.

Key Points:

• Oxford rock bottom with just 14 points from 16 games

• Ipswich sitting pretty in 8th with playoff ambitions

• Ipswich averaging 2 goals away, Oxford conceding 1.5 at home

• Ipswich smashed Swansea 4-1 and QPR 4-1 on their travels

• Oxford have only 2 wins in last 10 games

The stats don't lie here - Ipswich are miles better in every department. While the away win odds don't offer much value, the goals market looks tasty. I'm backing this to go over 2.5 goals.