Barnsley vs. Wrexham (Wednesday, 3.00pm)
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Wrexham, aiming for a third successive promotion this season, are set to travel to Oakwell Stadium on Wednesday afternoon to face League One playoff hopefuls Barnsley.
The hosts are seventh in the table with 36 points from 23 matches, while the visitors are second in the league with 48 points from their first 23 fixtures.
We say: Barnsley 1-2 Wrexham
Barnsley may have struggled at home this season, but Wrexham have been far from formidable when playing on the road, leading us to believe this one will be a tightly-contested encounter.
However, the visitors have already shown their superiority over Barnsley with a 1-0 win in early December, and we expect them to secure another victory in this one.
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Blackpool vs. Shrewsbury (Wednesday, 3.00pm)
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Blackpool, languishing in the lower half of the League One table, are set to come up against relegation-battling Shrewsbury Town at Bloomfield Road on Wednesday afternoon.
The hosts are 15th in the table with 28 points from their first 22 matches, while the visitors are 23rd in the standings with just 16 points from their opening 22 fixtures.
We say: Blackpool 1-1 Shrewsbury Town
Blackpool have not won at home since September, while the visitors have won just once away from home all season, leading us to believe this one will end all square.
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Bristol Rovers vs. Leyton Orient (Wednesday, 3.00pm)
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Relegation-battling Bristol Rovers will look to end a six-game winless streak in League One when they take on in-form Leyton Orient at the Memorial Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.
The hosts are 20th in the table with 22 points from their opening 22 matches, while the visitors are 10th in the standings with 31 points from their first 22 outings.
We say: Bristol Rovers 0-2 Leyton Orient
While Bristol Rovers have struggled this season, Leyton Orient are one of League One's top performers heading into this game, having won five of their last six, and we expect the O's to secure another victory here.
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Burton Albion vs. Peterborough (Wednesday, 3.00pm)
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Burton Albion play host to Peterborough United on New Year's Day increasingly desperate to get three points on the board.
At a time when the Brewers sit bottom of the League One table, Peterborough make the trip to the Pirelli Stadium just four points above the relegation zone.
We say: Burton Albion 1-3 Peterborough United
With both teams out of form, there is a feeling that anything can happen in this contest. Nevertheless, we can only back the visitors through their extra quality in attack at a time when Burton will still be frustrated with their missed opportunity against Huddersfield.
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Cambridge vs. Reading (Wednesday, 3.00pm)
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Cambridge United play host to Reading on New Year's Day looking for the win that is needed to bolster the survival hopes in League One.
At a time when the home side sit in 22nd position in the table, Reading occupy sixth place as they continue their bid for the playoffs.
We say: Cambridge United 1-2 Reading
With Reading still getting to grips with life under Hunt, it remains to be seen whether they can put together a consistent run of wins. However, given that Cambridge have recently struggled for points, we can only back the Royals to battle their way to another important victory.
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Crawley vs. Charlton (Wednesday, 3.00pm)
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Crawley Town square off against Charlton Athletic on New Year's Day requiring a win to have a chance of moving outside of the League One relegation zone.
At a time when the home side sit in 21st position in the table, Charlton are in ninth after putting together an outstanding recent run of form.
We say: Crawley Town 1-2 Charlton Athletic
With Crawley having shown signs of improvement last time out, they cannot be ruled out of this contest. Nevertheless, Charlton are on a massive high having defeated Wycombe, something which we feel will lead to a hard-earned victory being recorded here.
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Lincoln vs. Rotherham (Wednesday, 3.00pm)
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Lincoln City play host to Rotherham United on New Year's Day requiring a win to remain in contention for the playoffs.
At a time when the home team sit in 12th position in the League One table, the Millers are down in 17th place and seven points adrift of their next opponents.
We say: Lincoln City 2-1 Rotherham United
With both teams out of form, anything could happen in this fixture. Rotherham need a win as much as their hosts, yet we feel that Lincoln will throw caution to the wind in order to secure a potentially-pivotal three points come the end of the season.
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Mansfield vs. Bolton (Wednesday, 3.00pm)
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In the race for the playoffs in League One, Mansfield Town are set to host Bolton Wanderers at One Call Stadium on New Year's Day.
The Stags will begin 2025 hoping to take revenge on the visitors, who beat them in the reverse fixture, while the Trotters will be looking to make it back-to-back wins in the league after a dominant victory against Lincoln City last time out.
We say: Mansfield Town 2-1 Bolton Wanderers
Both sides will be looking to make up ground on the playoff spots by taking three points from each other this week, so expect a close-fought contest.
It is difficult to see a huge margin of victory for either team given their mixed form, though Mansfield have won two of their last three and only narrowly lost on Sunday, so they may get the win to start 2025 on a positive note.
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Northampton vs. Stevenage (Wednesday, 3.00pm)
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Relegation-threatened Northampton Town are set to host a resurgent Stevenage at Sixfields Stadium in League One on New Year's Day.
The Cobblers are hoping for a fresh start in 2025 under new boss Kevin Nolan, while the Boro will be looking to make it back-to-back wins after their victory over Bristol Rovers last time out.
We say: Northampton Town 0-2 Stevenage
Northampton may be hoping for a fresh start to the new year under new boss Nolan, but it is difficult to see them scoring given Stevenage's defensive solidity.
It is also hard to picture anything other than a win for Revell's side given the teams' contrasting form, and the Boro may prove too strong for the hosts to overcome on Wednesday.
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Stockport vs. Birmingham (Wednesday, 3.00pm)
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Looking to start the new calendar year with maximum points, promotion contenders Stockport County and Birmingham City will clash in League One on New Year's Day.
The Hatters recorded a hard-fought draw at Rotherham United during their final contest of 2024, whilst Blues were held by Blackpool in the Second City.
We say: Stockport County 1-1 Birmingham City
Taking to the pitch for the last time with Barry leading the line, Stockport will be raring to cause an upset to kick-start their 2025 schedule.
Birmingham are nearly at the end of a relentless period of five games in 13 days, and we feel that a mounting injury list could impact their ability to collect maximum points at Edgeley Park.
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Wigan vs. Huddersfield (Wednesday, 3.00pm)
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In a clash that could affect the race for the League One title, Huddersfield Town are set to travel to the Brick Community Stadium where they will face Wigan Athletic on Wednesday in their 23rd league fixture of 2024-25.
The hosts have just 27 points and are in 16th place following their 2-1 defeat against Wrexham on Sunday, while Huddersfield are six points from first-placed Birmingham City in fourth with 43 points, but were held to a 1-1 stalemate by Burton Albion on December 29.
We say: Wigan Athletic 0-1 Huddersfield Town
Considering Wigan's strong defensive record this season, it is plausible that they could limit the number of opportunities Huddersfield create.
Huddersfield will have to hope they are more clinical than they were last time out, but their strong form in recent weeks should make them favourites on Wednesday.
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Wycombe vs. Exeter (Wednesday, 3.00pm)
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Wycombe Wanderers are set to continue their fight for the League One title when they take on mid-table Exeter City at Adams Park on Wednesday afternoon.
The hosts are third in the table with 47 points after their first 22 matches, while the visitors are 13th in the standings with 31 points from their opening 22 games.
We say: Wycombe Wanderers 2-1 Exeter City
Exeter City may be enjoying a run of three matches without defeat heading into this one, but the hosts are one of the best sides in the league and are expected to win this one.
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Ben Knapton
