Watford have been on a rollercoaster ride in the EFL Championship in recent weeks and will be hoping to start another climb when an Oxford United side in poor form come to Vicarage Road.
The Hornets sit fifth in the table but have been inconsistent, with four wins and four defeats spread out over their last eight league games. The last two matches have been a microcosm of that run, with Watford battering Sheffield Wednesday 6-2 at Hillsborough then following it up with a 1-0 loss at Swansea.
Manager Tom Cleverley must be pulling his hair out over why performances can go from sublime to shambolic but all of the poor results have come on the road. Vicarage Road has been a fortress so far, with seven wins and one draw in their eight home games.
Despite sitting in the play-off places, the Hornets aren't among the favourites to win promotion but if they can keep grinding out wins at home it will go a long way to making it a successful season.
So it's hard to make a case for Oxford United emerging with three points, although Des Buckingham's side can take heart from ending their eight-game run without a win by beating Hull 1-0 in midweek.
Five of those eight games ended in draws and Oxford United still find themselves in mid-table, sitting five points clear of the drop zone. They're performing above expectations after winning promotion from League One and taking something from this game would be another step towards safety.
How the bookies view it: Hornets buzzing at home
With Watford in such sizzling form at home, it's no surprise to see them as Betano's 3/4 favourites. Oxford United are 3/1 outsiders and the draw pays 27/10.
Recent head to head: First league clash since 1999
Oxford United are back in the Championship for the first time in decades so these sides have only faced off once since they last shared a league in season 1998/99. That match came in the EFL Cup four years ago in Oxford and Watford edged it on penalties after a 1-1 draw. That made it seven games without defeat for the Hornets in this fixture.
Players to watch: Bayo in the groove
Vakoun Bayo scored four goals for Watford in that rout of Sheffield Wednesday and should start here, despite drawing a blank at Swansea. The former Celtic striker is 29/20 at Betano for anytime scorer.
I flagged up Dane Scarlett as Oxford's biggest threat against Swansea last weekend but was left upset with him as his late consolation ruined one of my main tips. The Spurs loanee has three goals in his last five games and is 13/5 at Betano for anytime scorer.
Probable line-ups
Watford midfielder Moussa Sissoko starts a three-game ban after being found guilty of a headbutt on Blackburn's Lewis Travis. Jeremy Ngakia, Angelo Ogbonna and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru are also set to miss out with injury.
Oxford duo Kyle Edwards and Siriki Dembele have joined Cameron Brannagan, Matt Phillips, Joe Bennett and Przemyslaw Płacheta on the injury list.
Watford: Bachmann, Sierralta, Porteous, Pollock, Larouci, Ince, Chakvetadze, Dwomoh, Baah, Kayembe, Bayo.
Oxford United: Cumming, Brown, Moore, Nelson, Ter Avest, Vaulks, McEachran, El Mizouni, Goodrham, Leigh, Scarlett.
Anything else catch the eye?
Watford's home record suggests they should win this one and you can get into odds against territory by combining a victory with over 1.5 goals at 28/25 with Betano. That bet has landed in six of the Hornets' eight home games this term.
Oxford United haven't been picking up lots of cards, with two yellows or fewer in each of their last four games. Watford's games have been a bit more spicy so there could be some value in backing the Hornets for most cards once the bookies price that market up.
This England Championship match between Watford and Oxford United will be played on Nov 8, 2024 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Watford vs Oxford United prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
