Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Championship match.
Plymouth Argyle continue to exhibit generosity in defence and are gradually slipping into the relegation zone. Oxford United, after a prolonged near-winless streak, have also considerably dropped but are trying to stabilise their current position. Both clubs are in dire need of points to avoid plunging into the relegation zone.
Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle have the weakest defence: they are the only side in the Championship allowing more than two goals on average (2.1). In the last two rounds, they conceded 10 goals — against Norwich City (1:6) and Bristol City (0:4). It's important to note these were away games. At Home Park, Plymouth do not allow such chaos. Even when they conceded three (once), they responded with as many — as seen against Preston North End (3:3). Overall, it's been lively at Home Park, with five of the last six meetings ending with a total over 2.5.
Oxford United
Oxford United are more restrained in their gameplay — perhaps this is why they haven't accrued enough points of late? We describe their streak as near-winless because amidst the stream of draws and losses, a victory against Hull City (1:0) in round 14 sneaked in. Aside from that, excluding that local success, it's been 12 matches without a win and only six points gathered. Notably, when Oxford United meet a team that loves to attack, the matches tend to be high scoring: a total over 2.5 occurred three times in the past six games. Unfortunately, such scoring hasn't translated into points, resulting in three losses.
Plymouth Argyle vs Oxford United Prediction
Plymouth Argyle can indeed draw visitors into open, expansive play with little regard for defence. While they have suffered from this approach, Oxford United seem a more comparable opponent, so we believe the hosts will avoid defeat in a high-scoring match.
