Oxford United vs Shrewsbury Predictions

• Oxford have avoided defeat in each of their last ten League 1 matches, seven of which they’ve won.
• Shrewsbury have won just one of their last six travelling matches in League 1.
• Shrewsbury have won none of their last three at Kassam, two of which they’ve lost.
• No team in League 1 has committed less home fouls than Oxford during the current campaign.

U’s look to continue their excellent form

Oxford come into this match off the back of losing an EFL Trophy penalty-shootout, though that’s unlikely to dampen the spirits at Kassam Stadium. The U’s have been in flying form in League 1 for some time now, winning four of their last five, losing none of their last ten. Such results have allowed Karl Robinson’s men to break into the top six.

The home efforts of Oxford have been particularly pleasing, as they’ve won five, drawn one and lost just one of their seven matches in front of a home crowd. Going forward, they’ve often looked menacing, notching a total of 17, scoring two or more in six out of seven, as well as scoring three in each of their last five at Kassam Stadium. Such numbers are impressive, as is the fact that they’ve shipped only seven and have kept five clean sheets, including one in each of their last four. A low-scoring Shrewsbury side have got their work cut out on Saturday, that’s for sure.

Frustration the aim of the game for Shrews

While Oxford have simply blown teams away at home of late, winning each of their last four home games by three goals to nil, Shrewsbury have taken a different approach on the road. Sam Rickett’s men are a pragmatic side, a side that looks to frustrate. Such a tactic may not yield much attacking joy, but it does allow them to often avoid defeat. The Shrews have lost three out of eight on the road, though they’ve only won two of the other six.

Firepower the key for Oxford

Ahead of a game against high-scorers Oxford, Shrewsbury’s lack of both creativity and goals is a worry. Not only have Rickett’s men scored just five travelling goals, but they’ve also failed to score in five out of eight. In contrast, Oxford are yet to come up short in front of goal at home.

At the prices, ‘Oxford to Win & Under 3.5 Goals’ looks good. The U’s most certainly have the forward quality to overcome Saturday’s visitors, though backing them to do so by running riot isn’t an appealing option. After all, while Shrewsbury’s lack of goals is a problem, they’ve not often conceded a great deal. Given what we’ve seen from the pair so far, they don’t look like holding out for 90 minutes against a side of Oxford’s quality, but they can certainly keep it respectable. After all, for all their attacking power, Oxford are yet to score more than three at home, while they’re becoming specialists at shutting teams out, so a low-scoring win stands out as a viable option.