- Oxford have been better at home than away, with 3 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat in their last 6 at home.
- MK Dons are in better form than their hosts, having won 3, drawn 1 and lost 1 of their last 5.
- Under 2.5 goals is the shorter play at 7/10, whilst BTTS - No at 17/20 looks a great fit for this cagey match-up.
Two different styles clash at the Kassam
Oxford United will test the resolve of MK Dons in a clash of two very different systems at Kassam Stadium on Saturday. Aaron Ramsey's U's are set up to be patient, controlling the tempo with their passing and a structured press when the moment is right. Paul Warne's MK Dons, on the other hand, are a high-energy team who look to hunt in packs, pressing the opposition into mistakes and then striking quickly on the counter.
Oxford have won two and lost three of their last five matches, which is hardly the perfect preparation for a big season opener in the third tier of English football. However, Ramsey has had a few weeks to reset his tactics for the upcoming campaign and his side will come out sharper than in their final three games last season - a 4-1 home win over Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship, a 2-0 away defeat to Millwall and a 2-0 home friendly win over Ipswich Town.
Will Lankshear has been Oxford's sharpest finisher of late with two goals in his last five appearances, whilst they've hit the net six times themselves over the same run. They'll need to get forward quickly in this one as the visitors have a decent wind of form behind them.
Dons’ early-season form gives them the edge
MK Dons have won three, drawn one and lost one of their last five, a slightly better run than Oxford. They come into this game off the back of a 1-1 away draw to Fleetwood Town in League Two and a 1-0 defeat away to Tottenham in a friendly fixture. Like Oxford, they'll be keen to stamp their authority on the campaign with a good result here.
Dons have won one and drawn one of the last two H2H meetings and they'll fancy their chances here after winning 1-0 away to Oxford in the EFL Trophy Southern Group F. Paul Warne's side have scored and conceded an average of 1.00 goals per-game away from home in all competitions, whilst Oxford have scored 1.67 and conceded 0.67 in the same fixtures.
Game is likely to be cagey
Oxford are the slight favourites here at 57/50, but there's not a lot between these two sides with MK Dons coming in at 47/20 and the draw at 23/10. They're not an overwhelming favourite here and the value is in the goals market.
We're going for under 2.5 goals, which is a short price at 7/10, but it looks the safest play here. Both Teams To Score - No at 17/20 also appeals in what is likely to be a tense chess match between two teams who will try to outwit each other in the opening exchanges.
