Cambridge United v Peterborough United: Free Tips, Prediction and Odds

Little love is lost when Cambridge United face rivals Peterborough United and Saturday's League One derby clash at Abbey Stadium promises to be no exception.

The two Cambridgeshire clubs are both at the wrong end of the table, with the U’s currently second-bottom and Posh only one place above the relegation zone.

Returning Cambridge boss Neil Harris got his second spell in charge off to a great start by overseeing back-to-back wins against Stockport County and Crawley Town.

But his side have lost their last three, including a midweek 2-1 reverse at Blackpool, and are in dire need of another points boost.

 Peterborough have picked up some form and confidence over the last month amid a five-game unbeaten run that keeps them six points clear of the bottom four.

Darren Ferguson’s side were the better side in last weekend’s 1-1 home draw against high-flying Wycombe Wanderers and were only denied a third win in four by an inexplicable close-range miss in the final moments.

Cambridge United v Peterborough United Tips and Predictions

Under 2.5 goals @ 43/40

That late blunder by Posh substitute Ricky-Jade Jones, his second meme-worthy miss of the campaign, showed how anxious players at this level can become when their clubs edge closer to the trapdoor.

Jones is Posh's top scorer in all competitions with 15 goals, but he has not netted since a late tap-in in the 3-1 defeat at Bristol Rovers on February 2nd and now finds himself starting games on the bench.

Peterborough’s only goal in their last two outings came via a penalty and they have mustered a combined seven shots on target across those two drawn games, against Blackpool and Wycombe.

Four of their last five matches have not seen a third goal, with two of those contests not seeing a second, so there is good scope to back under 2.5 goals here.

A similar number of the U’s last five games have featured fewer than three strikes and five of the last seven Cambridgeshire derbies have also fallen short of the 2.5-goal mark.

Total Goal Minutes - Under 130 mins @ 10/11

Harris felt his side played well at Blackpool but bemoaned his players’ decision-making in the final third as they failed to build on their early lead.

The U’s have scored fewer goals than almost any other side in League One and that is a problem the club failed to address in the January transfer window.

So, the manager will have to be crafty to get a result against a Posh side who have had a disappointing campaign too, although they have a trip to Wembley to look forward to next month.

Cambridge kept consecutive clean sheets at the start of Harris’ second spell and, although the win over Stockport owed much to the Hatters’ missed chances, it was a blueprint for success against a better team.

If the U’s can keep it tight for long enough they may be able to capitalise on Posh’s frustration and nick a 1-0 win.

However, their goal issues could make it almost impossible to mount a comeback from a goal down, so there is no room for error at the back either.

This game could turn out to be tight and low-scoring with anxious finishing potentially producing a clash that fizzles out in the second half.

All five of the U’s games in Harris’ second term have come under the 130 goal minutes mark, as have four of Peterborough’s last five League One contests. 

Half with Most Goals - 1st Half @ 11/5

Both of these struggling teams have shown a penchant for scoring an early goal lately, with Cambridge grabbing the opener before half-time in three of their last five league matches.

Only leaders Birmingham City have scored more first-half goals in League One than Posh, who have netted 29 before the interval and only 23 after the break,

The balance of Cambridge’s 35 total goals is weighted towards the first half too, which makes the odds of more goals in the first 45 minutes than the second on Saturday quite appealing.

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Cambridge United v Peterborough United odds

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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.