Bolton vs Oxford United Predictions

• Bolton beat Oxford 5-0 when these sides last met in April.
• Wanderers finished 10 points ahead of the U’s in the final League One standings.
• Bolton have scored at least twice in each of their last five games.

Championship awaits for Wanderers or Oxford

The League One play-off final takes place on Saturday as Bolton and Oxford battle it out for a place in the Championship.

Wanderers nearly managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in their semi-final win over Barnsley. Ian Evatt’s men had opened up a 5-2 aggregate lead by half time in the second leg but they allowed Barnsley to pull it back to 5-4 and were left clinging on by the end as they secured a place at Wembley despite a 3-2 defeat.

Oxford grabbed a hard-fought 2-1 aggregate win over Peterborough but perhaps rode their luck against Posh, who dominated the second leg at London Road but were held to a 1-1 draw by the resolute U’s.

Wanderers backable favourites

Bolton’s performance against Barnsley in that second meeting demonstrates that they are liable to allow nerves to creep in, but they should draw confidence from their 5-0 win over Oxford back in April.

Wanderers visited Wembley last season and produced arguably their best performance of that campaign at this ground as they thrashed Plymouth 4-0 to land the EFL Trophy and that experience may also be of benefit here.

Bolton took four points off Oxford during the normal season and didn’t concede against the U’s, so they look the more likely winners here.

Goals could be in short supply

There have been a whopping 15 goals scored across Bolton’s last three games but this is likely to be a lower scoring fixture. Oxford showed their defensive class against Posh as they limited League One’s best attack to just one goal over 180 minutes, and a repeat 5-0 win for Wanderers over Des Buckingham’s doesn’t look to be on the cards.

Since that hammering, Oxford have only conceded five goals in 10 games and they haven’t shipped more than one in any of those games. A 2-0 win for Bolton is the pick as they have scored at least twice in each of their last five games., potentially with a late effort from Evatt’s side on the counter if Oxford are fighting for an equaliser.

Aaron Collins looks a potential scorer for Bolton as he hit his side’s opener against Barnsley, meaning he has six goals in his last eight games. Collins was also on target in Bolton’s 5-0 win over Oxford and can trouble their defence was again.