Peterborough’s challenge for automatic promotion faded in the spring as they finished fourth while fifth-placed Oxford ended the campaign on an upward curve.

Oxford vs Peterborough Betting Tips

• Draw @ 29/10 with bet365
• Both teams to score in first half @ 12/5 with bet365
• Joel Randall anytime goalscorer @ 9/2 with bet365

All odds are courtesy of bet365, correct at the time of publishing and subject to change

Boro seeking to put last year’s heartache behind them

A return to the League One playoffs would not have been at the top of many Peterborough fans’ wish lists after their traumatic experience at this stage of last season.

The Posh claimed a 4-0 home win over Sheffield Wednesday in the first leg of their semi-final only to lose 5-1 at Hillsborough and miss out on a trip to Wembley after a penalty shootout.

They did reach the automatic promotion places this season but fell away in the final weeks to finish fourth. That was only one place above Oxford but they claimed seven more points over the season and should have a strong chance of getting to Wembley this time.

The value in the match betting for the first leg may lay in the biggest of the three prices, the 29/10 for a draw.

Neither of the teams’ league meetings this season was at all close, with Peterborough sauntering to a 3-0 success at London Road in December, while Oxford handed out a 5-0 hammering when they met again at the Kassam Stadium last month.

A much closer contest is likely this time and while Oxford have lost only one of their last eight matches, they are hard to trust as favourites at home against a strong side.

Oxford have either drawn or lost four of their last seven home games and other than the win over Peterborough their only successes in that time were over relegated sides Cheltenham and Fleetwood.

Oxford vs Peterborough Tip 1: Draw @ 29/10 with bet365

Lively start on the cards at the Kassam

Peterborough games are rarely dull and they ended the regular-season with a ding-dong affair against third-placed Bolton, coming back from 2-0 down to lead 3-2 before conceding again.

While play-off semi-final first legs can often be cagey affairs, if this one ends level it is more likely to be after momentum swings in both directions.

Backing both teams to get on the scoresheet before half-time looks a fair bet at 12/5 as goalless first 45 minutes have been a rarity for both teams. There have been first-half goals in Peterborough’s eight league games since they played champions Portsmouth, while Oxford have had only one goalless first half in their last six matches.

There were five first-half goals in the teams’ two regular-season matches, although only one team scored in each game, but they are both capable of getting on the board early in this tie.

Peterborough have conceded early goals in both of their last two games against Bolton and Cheltenham, but before that they scored before the break against Bristol Rovers and both teams scored before the interval in their game against Fleetwood.

Both teams have scored in only three of Oxford’s last seven games but they struck twice in the first half at Exeter last week and the goalscoring action could get going early under the Saturday night lights.

Oxford vs Peterborough Tip 2: Both teams to score in first half @ 12/5 with bet365

Randall can find net for third successive game

Peterborough topped the League One goal charts with 89 goals this season and five players got into double figures.

Attacking midfielder Joel Randall contributed 12 goals and is going into the play-offs in fine form after scoring four goals in his last seven League One appearances.

Randall is aiming for a third match in succession with a goal, having found the net against Bristol Rovers and Bolton and may well extend his hot streak in this trip to Oxford.

Oxford vs Peterborough Tip 3: Joel Randall anytime goalscorer @ 9/2 with bet365