Easter Monday's League One Tips: No more Duff results for Barnsley against the Shrews

• Posh in flying form ahead of Monday

• Barton's Fleetwood return to end in a draw?

• Shrewsbury injury problems taking their toll

Resurgent Posh set for another clean sheet

Peterborough United v Exeter City
Monday 10th April, kick-off 15:00

A stack of short prices for Monday's Easter games are in store, and some represent little value. Although with so many topsy-turvy results and erratic formlines of late, just about anything is possible at the moment.

Charlton are now on the blocked list. How a side can beat in-form Shrewsbury 6-0 and then a few days later lose 0-1 to an out of form team is mystifying.

Peterborough are 3/4 on the Sportsbook for Monday's home fixture with Exeter and are five wins from seven. The blip against Cheltenham at home is a thing of the past, the Posh have responded well with a trio of straight wins.

The latest came on Good Friday with a comprehensive 0-3 at Shrewsbury (what's happened to the Shrews?), and Darren Ferguson's side have kept four successive clean sheets. Ferguson, the club's most successful manager in their history, might just be swaying those that doubted his latest return.

Friday's success was a near-perfect away performance, and Oliver Norburn's return to full fitness has been a big factor. He works so well with Jack Taylor in the midfield, and there is little to change from Friday in terms of anticipating the team news.

Exeter according to Opta, have failed to win any of their last five away league games (D2 L3), though did come back from losing positions in both those draws with Wycombe (1-1) and Fleetwood in their most recent such game (2-2).

My nagging feeling with the Grecians is like most in this league - a better team at home.

The clean sheet record of Posh makes the Both Teams To Score 'No' bet a viable option at 21/20, a fair price and perhaps one that should be a little shorter.

Doubling up with the Bet Builder, the ever-reliable Jonson Clarke-Harris must come into the thinking for this considering he scored from the spot again at Shrewsbury - his 25th in 46 games and his fifth in his last eight games.

The JCH Anytime Scorer is too short at 11/10, but worthy of the price, but 3/1 on the First Goalscorer bet makes for a 7/1 Sportsbook double.

Posh are resurgent again, and 16 points from their last 18 should become 19. They dominated possession last time at Shrewsbury with nearly 70% of the ball and their home xG at 1.78 is far superior to their away one.

KEY OPTA STAT: Peterborough have won each of their last three home Football League matches against Exeter, although this is their first since March 2011 (3-0).

Barton return to Fleetwood a Monday highlight

Fleetwood Town v Bristol Rovers
Monday 10th April, kick-off 15:00

Five of Fleetwood Town's last six league meetings with Bristol Rovers have been drawn, including each of their last three at home finishing goalless according to Opta, and with a market I fancy neither strongly, the back of the draw looks the best option here.

Fleetwood at 6/5 doesn't represent the best value considering they've drawn seven and lost seven at home, and in comparison to Posh's 3/4, it's one I can readily swerve.

What to expect from Bristol Rovers?

Manager Joey Barton was less cavalier with his team selection on Friday and a more defensive set-up worked a treat winning 0-1 at Charlton - themselves most unpredictable.

Barton left 15-goal top-scorer Aaron Collins on the bench, but the masterstroke defensively kept Charlton to a pathetic one shot on target in 90 minutes. This will also be Barton's return to a club he served well in guiding them to the play-offs.

Backing the away side whose form reads WDWLLW serves as an inconsistent reminder, but with Fleetwood drawing seven of their 20 games at home, the outright back of the draw is looking the likeliest option for me.

Fleetwood are unbeaten at home in the league in each of their previous six games (W4 D2); they last went seven such games avoiding defeat in March 2021 (W3 D4) according to Opta, and I'd rather take the 12/5 on that instead of backing either team to win.

KEY OPTA STAT: Since winning their first ever Football League visit to Fleetwood Town in January 2013 (3-0), Bristol Rovers are winless in their last six such trips (D3 L3).

Barnsley to bounce back to cover the handicap

Barnsley v Shrewsbury Town
Monday 10th April, kick-off 15:00

It's all gone a bit pear-shaped or Pete Tong for Shrewsbury at the moment. A month ago they looked like cracking a move into the play-off places, but three successive heavy defeats have derailed any slim hopes on that front.

It's been nothing short of disastrous recently for Steve Cotterill's men. A 6-0 thumping at the Valley was followed by a dreadful 3-0 loss at Peterborough on Monday - and that could have been eight or nine looking at the reports.

Shrewsbury are reeling from the loss of star midfielder Tom Bayliss being ruled out for the season and they gifted Posh far too much space in midfield to play as they pleased two days ago, and the were prised open at will at Charlton. But injuries have hit Cotterill hard recently, and it looks as though their season could be over.

Barnsley suffered a shock loss at Burton on Friday and following a run of four straight victories, they've lost two of their last three. Barnsley's Sportsbook price is about right at 11/20, but it's not my idea of fun backing a "twos-on" shot in this division.

Burton were lucky to get the three points as the Tykes dominated every aspect of the game with a host of shots kept out by the inspired Brewers' keeper Craig MacGillivray. They had 60% possession and won the corner count 12-2, yet still lost.

Shrewsbury have lost seven of their last eight league visits to Barnsley (W1), with this their first since a 2-1 defeat in April 2019, and that dreadful record allied with the recent injury problems means this should be fairly straightforward.

There's no value in the home outright, but backing Barnsley on the handicap giving away one goal at 2.829/5 on the Exchange appeals a lot more. Michael Duff's team have been excellent at Oakwell this term and hold one of the best records in the division with a W14 D1 L4 tally, and they've scored 41 times against just 18 conceded.

They have also covered the -1 Handicap on 12 occasions this season at home. I am tempted to play on the -2 at a massive 5.85/1.

KEY OPTA STAT: Barnsley have won each of their last seven league games at Oakwell, averaging 3.4 goals per game during that run - the Tykes last had a longer such run in a single season in April 1955 (run of eight).