Oxford United and Stoke City have made identical starts to the EFL Championship campaign so it should be a close affair when they face off at the Kassam Stadium.
After winning promotion back to the second tier for the first time since 1990, many people expected Oxford United to struggle but they've won two of their four games so far and haven't looked out of their depth.
Manager Des Buckingham has built a tight-knit squad and the Kassam Stadium has been a fortress so far, with three successive wins in league and cup.
Stoke City will provide a stern test for United in this game though as they were in fine form before the international break, following up a 5-0 League Cup thrashing of Middlesbrough with a 1-0 league win over Plymouth.
Steven Schumacher has had time to stamp his mark on the team after taking over in December and will be looking to mount a promotion push. But if Stoke are serious about getting into the mix they will need to start winning games like this.
How the bookies view it: Oxford overpriced at 2/1
I'm surprised to see Oxford United as big as 2/1 with Betfred for this one, given they have a perfect home record so far this season. Stoke City are 6/5 favourites while the draw pays 11/5.
Recent head to head: Long time no see
These sides haven't faced off since February 2001, when the third tier was called the Second Division. That match ended in a 1-1 draw in Oxford after Stoke had battered United 4-0 at home earlier that season. Oxford have a brilliant home record in this fixture, going undefeated in all nine games.
Players to watch: Dragon Mark is ready to roar
Mark Harris has made a storming start to the season for Oxford, netting four times in five games, and came off the bench for Wales in their midweek win over Montenegro. The striker's confidence will be high and he's overpriced at 11/5 to keep his hot streak going.
Stoke's Million Manhoef is also a hitman in form, with the Dutch ace scoring three times in his last two outings. He's another who looks a bit too big at 5/2 for anytime scorer.
Probable line-ups
Matt Phillips, Joe Bennett and Will Goodwin are doubts for Oxford United despite having extra recovery time in the international break. Stoke City are sweating over the fitness of Jordan Thompson, Enda Stevens and Michael Rose while new signing Bosun Lawal is still out.
Oxford United: Cumming, Long , Brown, Leigh, Kioso, McEachran, Brannagan, Dembele, Goodrham, Rodrigues, Harris.
Stoke City: Johansson, Wilmot, Bocat, Tchamadeu, Phillips, Burger, Jun-Ho, Koumas, Moran, Mmaee, Manhoef.
Anything else catch the eye?
With both sides scoring pretty freely so far this term, this match should be a decent watch. Over 2.5 goals looks good at 10/11 while BTTS is a bit shorter at 8/11. Combining those picks in a Betfred bet builder takes you to 11/10.
We've seen a goal inside the first half-hour in every Oxford home game this term and backing the opener to come inside 30 minutes here pays 8/11. The odds are better for over 1.5 first-half strikes at 7/4.
Oxford defender Peter Kioso has picked up two yellows in four games this term and could be worth backing for another card at 13/5 with Betfred.
This England Championship match between Oxford United and Stoke City will be played on Sep 14, 2024 and kick off at 12:30. Check below for our tipsters best Oxford United vs Stoke City prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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