Burnley's recent trend of draws has been hurting their Championship title aspirations and another one could be in the offing when Oxford United make the trip to Turf Moor on Tuesday evening.
With Yorkshire duo Leeds United and Sheffield United both winning at the weekend, Scott Parker’s Clarets fell behind in the race for the automatic promotion places after a goalless draw at Portsmouth.
Conceding just nine goals in 30 games in the Championship is admirable, but the lack of end product in the final third is becoming a growing issue they need to address if they are going to avoid the dreaded play-offs.
Oxford have made themselves a tough nut to crack and have managed to build up a 10-point buffer between themselves and the bottom three heading into Tuesday’s trip to Lancashire.
These two sides played out a goalless draw at the Kassam Stadium earlier this season and another stalemate would come as little surprise at Turf Moor in this one.
Draw - 3/1
Dreaded draws have become an unwanted theme for the Clarets this season, with only West Bromwich Albion having more stalemates in the Championship so far this term.
Three of Burnley’s last four games have ended in goalless draws, much to the frustration of the Clarets faithful, who saw Leeds and the Blades edge further ahead in the standings over the weekend.
The U's head to Turf Moor on the back of their own little run of draws, having played out stalemates against Stoke City and Bristol City in their last two outings.
Now unbeaten in their last nine games in the Championship, manager Gary Rowett has been working wonders with the U’s since taking charge just before Christmas.
On course to finish well clear of the bottom three, the visitors look capable of becoming a regular feature in the Championship with Rowett at the helm.
The U’s played out a goalless draw with Burnley when these two teams met at the Kassam Stadium back in September and another 0-0 is available at 13/2 on Tuesday.
However, the more conservative approach is to cover the draw, with a second stalemate between these sides this season available at 3/1.
Josh Cullen to be booked - 15/4
In a game when goals might be at a premium, it’s worth looking to the bookings market for what could be a cagey affair at Turf Moor.
Three yellow cards were shown in the meeting at the Kassam earlier this season and it would be little surprise to see referee James Bell dish out a few on Tuesday.
In Bell’s last game he handed out five yellow cards in a League Two clash between Walsall and Salford City, while he showed five yellows and two red cards in his previous game between Swindon Town and Tranmere Rovers.
Dishing out five cards or more in his last three games in charge, there’s value to be had in looking at the bookings market with Bell in the middle.
Josh Cullen is a player certainly worth considering, as no Burnley player has picked up more yellows in the Championship this season than the Irish midfielder.
Already with seven cautions to his name in the league this term, Cullen might well find his name in Bell’s book before the full-time whistle.
Peter Kioso to be booked - 7/4
Another player to consider in the booking market is Peter Kioso, as he is Oxford’s second worst offender when it comes to yellow cards this season, behind the injured Elliott Moore.
With five yellows in the Championship this term, defender Moore is not afraid to go in for a robust challenge or two.
Having managed to avoid a booking the last time the U's played Burnley in September, the former Rotherham United player might not be so lucky this time around, especially with Bell’s no-nonsense approach to games of late.
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Burnley - 9/20
Draw - 3/1
Oxford United - 15/2
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.