Oldham v Mansfield betting preview, tips & TV details

TV: Sky Sports Football, 3pm Monday

With Lincoln firmly in charge of top spot, two automatic promotion places remain up for grabs in Sky Bet League Two and Mansfield are the team to catch as they bid to return to the third tier of English football for the first time since 2003.

The second-placed Stags are one point ahead of MK Dons and two clear of fourth-placed Bury. But with both of their rivals odds-on to win on Monday, David Flitcroft’s men are set for a thorough examination of their promotion credentials when they take on Oldham at Boundary Park.

While Mansfield hammered an unmotivated Morecambe side 4-0 at Field Mill on Good Friday, they had crafted just one shot on target in their 1-1 draw at Northampton previously and have won only six times away from home this season - only 29 of their 76 points have come on the road.

It is not a good time for them to face Oldham. The Latics' chances of making the playoffs have suffered repeated blows with recent draws against Swindon and Cheltenham but in general they are going the right way under caretaker boss Pete Wild.

Wild, who took charge for the second time this season after Paul Scholes’s 31-day reign, has overseen a five-match unbeaten run including convincing home victories over Grimsby and Tranmere.

The Lancashire club have won the shots-on-target count in all their matches under Wild but they are going up against the best defence in League Two - Mansfield’s solid back three have conceded only 35 goals this season - and the draw could prove the best value bet.

Recommendation
Draw
1pt 9-4 bet365, Betfair, Paddy Power

League Two standings

Bet on this game at Soccerbase.com

Team news
Oldham
Jose Baxter faces a fitness test so Johan Branger-Engone could come back into the starting 11.

Mansfield
David Flitcroft has no fresh injury concerns.

Key stat
Oldham are unbeaten in five games under Pete Wild.

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