League Two New Year Tips: Back Mansfield for a point

• On song Saddlers set to draw

• Carlisle looking to close gap

• Dons points haul looking good

Sunday 1st January 19:45 kick-offs

Stags to half Fly-nn Saddlers

Walsall 2.77/4 v Mansfield 3.02/1; the draw 3.412/5

Boxing Day match-winner Manny Monthe was not wrong when he said Walsall are on an upward curve. They were already top of the form table and that win gave them 16 points from six games.

Two goals per game have helped, not just in the past three League Two wins but in two FA Cup victories. Danny Johnson (11) continues to set a fantastic pace in front of goal, a line Isaac Hutchinson and recently defender Hayden White have followed.

Michael Flynn must be wishing the season had begun at the start of October. He certainly wants the Saddlers to push on up from eighth they achieved before Wednesday's reverse to Stockport.

Mansfield's Nigel Clough was furious his side didn't see out victory at Northampton (who dominated but were satisfied with a point it seems) having scored late on to lead. Thursday's win at Hartlepool will have helped his mood.

George Lapslie and Rhys Oates have been upstaged recently by Will Swan who has taken his goals tally to eight. The Saddlers will not wish to lose momentum, having allowed a five point gap to emerge between these two. A draw might have to satisfy them.

Cumbrians keeping it clean

Doncaster 2.915/8 v Carlisle 2.767/4; the draw 3.412/5

Carlisle, who have lost once in eight games, can continue their upward momentum with victory at Doncaster, at a nice price. Paul Simpson's men have fine enough form to force a win at the Keepmoat Stadium. Victory over Bradford made up in some small way for Ryan Edmondson suffering a dislocated shoulder - which will keep him out for weeks - and they followed that up with a midweek win at Crewe. Both wins came with clean sheets.

The Cumbrians' good recent run includes four wins, 15 goals and only one game where they didn't score, with only seven goals against.

Kristian Dennis needs to find a few more goals to keep the Cumbrians in touch with the top three. Jordan Gibson and Jack Stretton were preferred together up front for the win against the Bantams.

Doncaster did not score in three of their past five matches. They netted at Newport in early December, then saved up their strikes with four in one game to beat Rochdale. Danny Schofield must be begging Harrison Biggins to score more regularly, or nagging Kyle Knoyle to climb above all others at a corner and score from defence once more.

Carlisle, who have won two of their last three on New Year's Day say Opta, will have their eye on closing that four-point gap to the automatic promotion places, on the back of a fine run and are too big a price to ignore.

Dons Chis-ling away collecting points

Sutton 2.3411/8 v AFC Wimbledon 3.814/5; the draw 3.211/5

I read that AFC Wimbledon are playoff candidates. Positions four to 15 are so bunched up that the Dons could be, but to confirm it they need to beat teams like Sutton. This is the ground where their odyssey as a re-formed club began with a pre-season friendly in July 2002.

Matt Gray's hosts actually have the better points tally (13) over six games (the Dons have 12). But the sides they have defeated are not the best. They were one of two mediocre teams at the Broadfield on Boxing Day, only beating Crawley because of two mistakes by the injury-hit hosts. There were very few chances at either end. Bear in mind that afterwards Crawley defender George Francombe said the Reds would need serious help in January to avoid a relegation battle.

Yes, the U's are rarely beaten at Gander Green Lane, with a 12-10 goals record plus six wins. However, recent wins have been against struggling sides: add Colchester, Gillingham and Rochdale to Crawley. A point against Carlisle is their strongest result.

Goals have been in short supply, Rob Milsom scoring two of their five in six games from the penalty spot. Will Randall can create as much as he scores, with the industrious Harry Beautyman and Enzio Boldewijn on the other side.

Wimbledon have built strong momentum. They are 10 games unbeaten (the longest such run in League Two), defeating leaders Leyton Orient and Tranmere along the way. Two goalless draws and five clean sheets have maintained progress.

A fantastic statistic is that their points tally from the past 10 games (22) is nearly double the return from their first 13 (12 points).

They are not the first team to have a sticky start to a season then prosper in a division where many draws leave positions very fluid.

Midfielder Ethan Chislett has scored four in the past seven games. Paul Maghoma or Nathan Young-Coombes will be happy to get their place back alongside Josh Davison, after Kyle Hudlin was sent off having forced himself into a starting spot.

Johnnie Jackson's men need to show they have what it takes to be in the promotion shakeup by winning this local derby. They are in a better place than winning just once in four on New Year's Day in recent years (Opta).

Monday 2nd January 19:45 kick-off

High flyers to battle out draw

Northampton 2.89/5 v Leyton Orient 2.942/1; the draw 3.55/2

These sides played out their first goalless draw of the season in October. Each of them have one more since. It is easy to think the result could be repeated. A draw could certainly ensue.

For the hosts, only left-back Ali Koiki remains injury (and close to a return) and they have a ringing endorsement from Nigel Clough, the Mansfield manager, who called them the best team in League Two after a Boxing Day draw.

Sam Hoskins' 15 goals have certainly put them in a strong position to avoid last season's last day heartache, when Bristol Rovers won 7-0 to deny them promotion. Sam Sherring has two goals recently as they find other scoring outlets.

Jon Brady has made the most of his substitutes since the Cobblers returned from an enforced ice and snow break, to ensure fit-again players gained match time. A strong home record will be tested by the leaders.

The hosts have only six clean sheets this season. Richie Wellens' men have three in a row - and 14 in total.

Only four on the road gives Paul Smyth, Charlie Kelman and Ruel Sotiriou the incentive to continue to be the third highest scoring team in League Two, away.

Opta stats suggest there is a decent history of draws in this fixture, Northampton winning six and losing just once.