Wednesday League 1 & 2 Tips: Bowyer's Burton to surprise in New Year's Day trebles | OneFootball

League One

Leg 1: Bristol Rovers v Leyton Orient, Wednesday 15:00: Back Orient @ 1/1

We've been on the right side of Leyton Orient over Christmas with 3-0 and 2-0 wins and there's no reason to oppose Richie Wellens' form team at the moment for their trip to Bristol Rovers.

It's now seven wins in eight for the O's and an impressive six consecutive clean sheets. They've also got the recent win against Rovers at Brisbane Road in that run with a 3-0 triumph at the end of November and a match they completely dominated from start to finish with all the possession (over 60%) and nine shots on target to Bristol Rovers' zero.

Daniel Agyei scored in that and Wellens heaped praise on the forward on Sunday by saying: "He was unplayable. We were surprised they went with a back four as they normally play with a three but we worked on getting him in one-on-one situations and he was the best player on the pitch by a long way."

Orient pressed Rovers very high up the pitch back in November and it's hard to see the Gas turning around their current form as they've lost nine on the road and conceded a massive 23.

KEY OPTA STAT: Bristol Rovers have won just two of their last 11 home Football League games against Leyton Orient (D4 L5), failing to keep a clean sheet in any of those 11 games.

Leg 2: Burton Albion v Peterborough United, Wednesday 15:00: Back Burton Double Chance @ 1/2

Peterborough have always been "my boys" in League One with their attacking brand of football but the emphasis on youth at the club is not working and Darren Ferguson must be feeling the heat with the team's current form.

Seeing Posh down in 18th doesn't seem right and they've lost six of their last seven including a limp display last time against Barnsley.

The basics appear lacking and there was some amoeba-like stupidity at the back in the first-half against Barnsley as they are leaving men, not marking and missing tackles. Reports also suggested they are looking nervous.

Burton last win in the league back on the 4th December, ironically against Peterborough in a 0-1 at London Road in a game where the Posh barely created a chance.

"It's hard for these young lads," said Fergie after Sunday. "They didn't get looked after the best at Mansfield. I need to find a way of looking after them.

"In a normal season, you would want to be able to dip the young players in and out, but we're having to play them all of the time and it's becoming a bit of a problem." And with this potentially being a relegation game, Burton have to be the call here, and while short on the double chance at 1/2 we have two running for us against an out of form team and they defended superbly to earn a recent 1-1 draw with big spending Huddersfield - a game where they conceded a massive 17 corners.

KEY OPTA STAT: All six league meetings between Burton and Peterborough at the Pirelli Stadium have seen both teams score, with Posh winning the last two (5-2 in 2022-23, 3-1 in 2023-24).

Leg 3: Wycombe Wanderers v Exeter City, Wednesday 15:00: Back Wycombe/Wycombe @ 11/10

Wycombe's 1-2 loss at Charlton on Sunday saw them drop down to third behind Wrexham and Birmingham and the Addicks are back to their best with a fine Christmas set of results and they decoded Wycombe thoroughly. Indeed, they limited to Matt Bloomfield's men to hardly a chance or sniff as Jones' tactics of keeping the play in the middle of the pitch nullified Wycombe's threat on the flanks.

At least Richard Kone scored, his 15th of the season, and Bloomfield surely has to start the strike on Wednesday?

Wycombe were unbeaten in 19 prior to the Valley loss, so it's a good chance to bounce back against Exeter who have been involved in some free-scoring games of late including a 4-4 on Sunday.

KEY OPTA STAT: Wycombe have won their opening league game in each of the last three calendar years, with all three games played on New Year's Day.

League Two

Leg 1: Morecambe v Tranmere Rovers, Wednesday 15:00: Back Under 2.5 Goals @ 3/4

Morecambe are still without a home win all season in 10 attempts (lost seven) and their goal output is the worst in the League with just eight scored on their own ground.

Backers of the BTTS 'No' bet would have collected on all five games in the league for Morecambe recently and they drew another blank at Salford on Sunday when losing 1-0.

Tranmere's goal output is even worse away from Prenton Park this term with just seven scored, although they have managed to find the net in their last three and even got on the board at Doncaster in a fairly entertaining game.

Entertainment might however be in short supply here as the xG metric indicates 1.11 and 1.34 for both all season - so the Under 2.5 Goals looks a fair price at 3/4.

KEY OPTA STAT: Tranmere Rovers have lost just one of their four Football League away games against Morecambe (W2 D1), keeping two clean sheets in the process.

Leg 2: Chesterfield v MK Dons, Wednesday 15:00: Back MK Dons Double Chance @ 8/13

I was at the MK Stadium for MK Dons' 3-0 win against Chesterfield at the beginning of December, and while the Spirerites were reduced to 10-men which ruined the game, Paul Cook's team didn't offer too much and were comprehensively beaten.

Since then, the Dons haven't won in four and have lost three including a bizarre 6-3 loss at Newport - a performance and result that absolutely nobody envisaged.

That horror run obviously makes the price here and they look just too big as they outsiders in the Match Odds market at 11/5. The current run puts me off slightly for the win bet, but playing on the Double Chance with two results, we can still get an acceptable price.

Joe White scored in MK's recent 1-1 with Crewe and he was the best player on the pitch against Chesterfield when they previously met.

KEY OPTA STAT: Chesterfield have won just three of their 13 prior Football League games against MK Dons (D5 L5), losing the reverse fixture 3-0 in December.

Leg 3: Port Vale v Cheltenham Town, Wednesday 15:00: Back BTTS 'No' @ 9/10

We've been right in opposing Port Vale of late and their lacklustre run continued on Sunday with a 3-0 loss at Grimsby. Darren Moore's change to a front-three didn't work and Grimsby were deserving winners and bossed the midfield, an area where Vale created next to nothing. Indeed, the Grimsby keeper was barely tested.

Moore must be under some pressure now as one of the pre-season title favourites as they haven't won in the league since mid-November and are rapidly losing ground at the top of the table.

Vale have scored just once in five matches, but goals are not a problem for Cheltenham who scored three on Sunday (but conceded five against Notts County) and have netted twice or more in all five of their recent matches. That slightly poses the question here with the market an even split at 9/10 on BTTS yes and no, but Vale will need a response and Moore will probably take a draw with the way performances have been going.

Both played out a 1-1 at Whaddon Road in mid-November.