League One Tips: Ipswich are handicap bet and Brown to frustrate Manning

• Alan had 3 out of 6 last weekend including draw bet

• Posh look vulnerable at Portman Road

• Five bets this weekend for L1 and two Bet Builders

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Posh's troubles on the road to continue at Portman

Ipswich Town v Peterborough United
Saturday 12:30

Peterborough boss Grant McCann came out fighting this week in the face of severe criticism as his team appear to be blowing their chances of automatic promotion with three successive losses in the league and a tame FA Cup exit last weekend.

McCann's 4-3-3 formation has stoked the ire of the Posh faithful, but he responded on the eve of Saturday's big game at Portman Road by saying:

"I haven't got this far in my career by listening to comments on social media or anything like that. I've worked so hard to get where I am and I won't do something just because Joe Bloggs down the street believes it's the right thing to do."

It's been a season of inconsistency, and with an 11-point gap to Ipswich in second, they can ill afford to lose anymore ground. The run has impacted massively on the betting, and I cannot remember the last time Posh were priced at a massive 6.611/2 for any match. It shows just where they are at the moment.

Ipswich on bare form should win this, as they have lost just once in Suffolk all season and have conceded just eight goals. Although according to Opta, they have won just one of their 10 league meetings with Peterborough (D4 L5), a 3-2 home win in March 2012.

Do we want to take the 1.618/13? It's very short, especially as they were frustrated with a 1-1 in their most recent home match with Fleetwood. That was off the back of a another home 1-1 with Cheltenham, a game in which Kieran McKenna's team enjoyed 75% of the ball and still couldn't win.

With Posh conceding 19 in their last 10 on the road and an ever increasing shakier defence by the minute, surely Town can get on the scoresheet? They couldn't against Lincoln in October when losing 0-1, a game in which Ipswich had an astonishing 32 shots and failed to find the net. Lincoln sat deeper and deeper in that, and I am not sure Posh are up to the task with their porous defence - that have have failed to keep a clean sheet on the road all season.

Town need to start better, but overall their play is quite good and are able to build pressure from different situations nullifying counter-attacks. While the 1.618/13 price is a non-starter, it might pay to back them to cover the handicap on this with Town -1 on the Peterborough +1 market at around 2.77/4.

Ipswich have only failed to score in one of their last 23 league games (W13 D8 L2), a 1-0 defeat to Lincoln City in October, and that's enough to sway me as they face a poor defence.

There's a potential 9/1 Bet Builder of interest on the Sportsbook, with Ipswich to win by exactly two goals and Over 2.5 Goals, which pays out 10.849/5 for the double.

Key Opta Stat: Having won three consecutive league games at the end of October, Peterborough have lost each of their last three. They've already lost four in a row twice in 2022, doing so in March and September.

Portsmouth's lack of goals a big worry for Accrington trip

Accrington Stanley v Portsmouth
Saturday 15:00

It pays to have your men on the ground, and in this case my good chum Kevin Hatchard has given me the rundown on Portsmouth's last two games which he commentated on for Talksport. He said that Portsmouth just don't look like they can score a goal at the moment, so obviously if they do find the net this weekend blame him!

There's too much of a disconnect between the forwards and the midfield, and while Pompey's front players are excellent in Colby Bishop and Dane Scarlett, it isn't much use if they cannot get the ball. We both agreed that, while Bishop is a good forward at this level (and he scored plenty for Accrington before his summer switch to Fratton Park), he has been anonymous recently and has barely had a chance.

To back Bishop against his former club this weekend on the Sportsbook is a 17/10 price for Anytime Scorer

Accrington aren't exactly in flying form, and usually can be counted on for a mid-table finish and plenty of entertaining games. But they have conceded more than they have scored at the Wham this term (13 and 17) and have lost more than they have won W2 D4 L4. They have to fancy their chances of at least getting on the scoresheet for this, however, as Pompey's xA on the road is far greater than their home xA of 0.89.

The price on Pompey to win is poor at 2.26/5, and the Draw No Bet comes into play with Stanley who gave Oxford a run for their money recently in a 1-1, especially as Stanley's xG numbers at home are far better than away.

The hosts have taken four points from their last two league games (W1 D1), as many as they had in their previous eight (W1 D1 L6). That's a better sign, and one we can take a bit of confidence from that given that Pompey have scored just four goals in their most recent seven League One matches - hitting three blanks and failing to score more than one goal in any of those games.

We can also use the Bet Builder to boost the options, with an ambitious Accrington win and Under 2.5 Goals. That pays out 6.55111/20 for the double. And for layers, perhaps taking on Bishop in the Anytime Scorer market on the Exchange as a lay, despite the fact he does have 13 in 22 this term.

Key Opta Stat: Portsmouth have won just one of their last 10 league games (D6 L3). They lost 2-0 at Wycombe last time out, but haven't lost consecutive league games since February (a run of 3).

Fleetwood look good enough for a point at MK

MK Dons v Fleetwood Town
Saturday 15:00

The Portsmouth price in the previous game to win is a poor one as it's too short, and it's much the same for the MK Dons, who at 6/5 make absolutely no punting appeal whatsoever. They have earned fewer home points than any other side in the top four tiers of English football this season (5) according to Opta, and in no way do they deserve to be priced at 6/5.

If you are a layer on the Exchange, that's a good price to take on to have two results running for you.

Fleetwood have scored in all 10 of their away league games this season, one of three sides in League One to have scored in 100% of their games on the road (along with Ipswich and Plymouth). That's quite a stat to have on your side, as I think this will be a tight game and the odd goal could nick it.

The Buckinghamshire club were frustrated in a 1-1 against lowly Burton last weekend, a typical sort of performance from them with all of the ball and very few chances. Indeed, they mustered just three on target despite their dominance of 70% in possession. They have become quite easy to play against and defend.

Scott Brown's team earned a fabulous 1-1 at Ipswich last Friday. He played a very tight first-half and stayed in the game at 1-0 at the break, and while he went a bit more aggressive with Joe Garner in the second period, they need to start turning some of those draws (and there have been plenty of them) into wins.

This could be similar, as the hosts play a ball-retention game, and Fleetwood are happy in sitting back and absorbing pressure. As the Dons have scored just eight at home all season, we could attempt to get to half-time with a 0-0 Correct Score bet to trade and put us in a good position.

Brown's number two Simon Whittaker said on the eve of the match:

"We are a little bit surprised where they are in the league. They're a side who play good football and keep possession so we will have to be really disciplined in what we are doing and when we don't have the ball."

From those quotes, I've got an inkling they can play this well and frustrate. The Draw looks a good bet here at around 3.412/5, as does the Under 1.5 Goals. Playing those two on the Bet Builder gives us a 8.44186/25 double.

Key Opta Stat: Fleetwood have won just one of their last seven league games against MK Dons (D4 L2), with each of the last three meetings between the sides ending level.