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Two teams battling at opposite ends of the League One table will clash on Saturday afternoon as relegation-threatened Crawley Town host playoff-hopefuls Reading.
The hosts are 23rd in the table with 29 points from 34 matches, while the visitors are eighth in the standings with 54 points from their 34 league fixtures.
We say: Crawley Town 0-2 Reading
Crawley are enduring a dismal run heading into this one, while Reading are undefeated in their last seven games, leading us to expect a comfortable victory for the visitors.
> League One preview: Crawley vs Reading
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Two teams competing at the top of the League One table are set to clash on Saturday afternoon as Stockport County host Charlton Athletic at Edgeley Park.
The hosts are fourth in the league table with 61 points from 35 games played, while the visitors are fifth in the standings with 59 points from 34 fixtures.
We say: Stockport County 1-1 Charlton Athletic
Both teams are in similar veins of form heading into this one, and just two points separating the sides suggests an evenly-matched affair, leading us to expect a draw.
> League One preview: Stockport vs Charlton
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Aiming to make a return to winning ways and reignite their climb towards the top six in the League One table, Barnsley will welcome Blackpool to Oakwell on Saturday.
The hosts trail the playoff places by six points following a midweek defeat, while their visitors are seven points worse off in 13th spot.
We say: Barnsley 1-1 Blackpool
The hosts have struggled to show their quality at Oakwell this season and are faced with several injury issues, particularly at the back, and we see them sharing the points with a Blackpool side who have proved they are particularly tough to beat in recent months.
> League One preview: Barnsley vs Blackpool
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Birmingham City have the opportunity to extend their lead at the top of the League One table when they host middling Lincoln City to St. Andrew’s Stadium on Saturday.
A victory for the hosts could widen their lead at the top of the standings to 12 points, while the visitors sit 12th, 12 points away from the playoffs and 13 clear of relegation.
We say: Birmingham City 3-1 Lincoln City
Birmingham City have been dominant in League One this season, including two victories against Lincoln already this campaign, and we expect the Blues to win this fixture for a third time on Saturday.
> League One preview: Birmingham vs Lincoln
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Huddersfield Town will travel to the Memorial Stadium on Saturday to take on Bristol Rovers in an important game at both ends of the League One table.
The visitors’ lead over the chasing pack in the playoff race was cut to a single point following a midweek loss, while their hosts sit just three points above the relegation zone.
We say: Bristol Rovers 1-1 Huddersfield Town
Depleted by injuries and lacking confidence having seen their top-six standing weaken in the new year, we would not be surprised to see Huddersfield Town drop points again in Saturday’s trip.
> League One preview: Bristol Rovers vs Huddersfield
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In a pivotal match for both League One‘s race for promotion and relegation battle, Burton Albion are set to host Bolton Wanderers at the Pirelli Stadium on Saturday.
The Brewers will be hoping to bounce back from their loss last time out, while the Trotters could make it six league games without defeat this weekend.
We say: Burton Albion 1-1 Bolton Wanderers
Both sides have been in improved form in recent weeks and will be motivated by ambitions that are within reach this weekend.
However, with so much at stake, and Bolton’s mixed form on the road, this match could end in a stalemate after a hard-fought 90 minutes.
> League One preview: Burton Albion vs Bolton
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St James Park will host a League One relegation six-pointer when Exeter City face bottom-of-the-table Shrewsbury Town on Saturday.
The Grecians will be looking for their first win in four, while the Shrews will be desperate to avoid a fifth defeat in six games that could leave them further adrift at the foot of the table.
We say: Exeter City 1-0 Shrewsbury Town
Neither side are in the strongest form at the moment, and both are at risk should they lose this match, so expect a close contest.
That being said, it is hard to see anything other than a victory for Exeter given that Shrewsbury have a particularly poor goalscoring record over recent weeks and a disastrous away record this season.
> League One preview: Exeter vs Shrewsbury
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As the race for promotion heats up in League One, Leyton Orient will face strugglers Northampton Town at the Gaughan Group Stadium on Saturday.
The O’s will be looking to get back on track after a string of losses, while the Cobblers will be hoping to distance themselves from the relegation zone.
We say: Leyton Orient 2-0 Northampton Town
Orient may have lost four on the bounce ahead of this weekend’s clash, but they will know the importance of taking all three points having fallen behind in the race for promotion.
Expect Northampton to put up a fight given the threat of relegation looming close behind them, but considering the strength of their home record, the O’s should get the win in front of their own crowd.
> League One preview: Leyton Orient vs Northampton
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In a match that could impact League One‘s race for promotion, in-form Peterborough United are set to welcome high-flying Wycombe Wanderers to the Weston Homes Stadium on Saturday.
The Posh are on a five-game unbeaten streak ahead of this weekend’s clash, while the Chairboys have fallen behind in the title race and will be desperate to stay ahead of the chasing pack in the playoff spots.
We say: Peterborough United 1-1 Wycombe Wanderers
With strong home form and a commendable unbeaten record that has even been maintained against even the division’s promotion-chasing clubs, it is difficult to picture Peterborough losing this weekend.
That being said, Wycombe will be feeling the pressure to both stay ahead of Wrexham and keep as close to Birmingham as possible, so expect a close-fought contest regardless of the result.
> League One preview: Peterborough vs Wycombe
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Stevenage play host to Mansfield Town on Saturday afternoon looking for the win that they need to stay relevant in the playoff race.
At a time when Stevenage sit in 11th position in the League One table, Mansfield are down in 16th and requiring points to avoid a relegation battle.
We say: Stevenage 2-1 Mansfield Town
With Mansfield having at least stopped the rot of late, they theoretically have a greater chance of earning at least another important point. However, we are backing the home side to edge this fixture, potentially via a late goal as they throw caution to the wind.
> League One preview: Stevenage vs Mansfield
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Wigan Athletic play host to Cambridge United on Saturday afternoon looking for the win that will take the club closer to safety in League One.
At a time when the Latics sit in 15th position in the standings, Cambridge are down in 22nd place and seven points adrift of safety.
We say: Wigan Athletic 1-1 Cambridge United
Although Cambridge’s resurgence ended in midweek, they still look in better shape under Harris. With that in mind, we feel that they may be capable of earning a share of the spoils in the North-West, albeit a result that will not necessarily help their hunt for survival.
> League One preview: Wigan vs Cambridge
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Wrexham play host to Rotherham United on Saturday afternoon looking for the win that would keep them hot on the heels of second-placed Wycombe Wanderers.
At a time when the home side sit in third position in the League One table, the visitors are down in 14th place despite a recent return to form.
We say: Wrexham 2-0 Rotherham United
This game could prove to be far more competitive than it may have been a couple of weeks ago with Rotherham currently on a high. Nevertheless, we cannot ignore Wrexham’s home form, leading us to predict a hard-fought victory for the Welsh outfit.
> League One preview: Wrexham vs Rotherham
