Peterborough United face a January fixture list fraught with danger. Total points prediction from the PT and some fans

Posh have five League One games before the end of this month, three against current members of the top seven and one at a venue where they never win.

How many points do you reckon Posh will get?

Jan 10 v Bolton (home).

Historical EFL record

P9 W4 D2 L3

Posh haven’t won any of their last seven League One meetings with ‘The Trotters,’ three of them at home including a 5-0 battering in February 2023.

Bolton are currently fifth, but appear to be stuck in a goal-free rut. They picked up two points from three festive matches against modest opponents in Mansfield, Doncaster and Cobblers and scored just once.

Top scorer Mason Burstow hasn’t added to his seven League One goals since he scored twice in a 2-1 win over Posh on October 4 and Bolton have only won two of their 11 away games this season.

PT prediction: Posh 1, Bolton 1

Jan 17 v Plymouth (home)

Historical EFL record

P15 W9 D2 L4

On paper this looks the easiest fixture of the month, but ‘The Pilgrims’ have, like Posh, shown signs of life lately. Their 3-0 home win over a depleted Burton Albion side last time out moved them up to 16th, just two points adrift of Posh.

They boast League One’s leading goalscorer in 12-goal Swiss striker Lorent Tolaj who has seven goals in his last 10 outings. Plymouth actually have the sixth best away record in the division with 16 points from 12 matches, but Posh did win at Home Park when both sides were struggling in September.

Posh have won the last two meetings with Plymouth at London Road including 5-2 drubbing of a team that went on to win the League One title.

PT Prediction: Posh 1, Plymouth 1.

Jan 24 v Wycombe (away).

Historical EFL record

P15 W1 D4 L10

It’s a terrifyingly bad record at Adams Park for Posh. Their only win arrived just over 22 years ago so maybe the law of averages will come into play? Wycombe have won four of the last five meetings including a 5-2 success when Posh had a seriously good side.

Wycombe were the first team Posh beat during their dismal start to this season which led to a change of Chairboys manager from Mike Dodds to Michael Duff. It’s been steady improvement since then with Wycombe currently 10th, a point above Posh having played a game more. They have the sixth best home record in the division with 24 points from 13 matches.

Wycombe are unbeaten in three matches, including a New Year’s Day home draw with leaders Cardiff City, and they’ll probably make it four unbeaten,as they only play Cobblers before they play Posh.

PT Prediction: Wycombe 2, Posh 1.

January 27 v Stevenage (away)

Historical EFL record

P4 W1 D2 L0

I’m still having nightmares following the fairly recent home game against difficult, stubborn and dull opponents, but there’s no getting away from how well they’ve done for one of the smallest teams in League One. They went top after winning at Posh in November, but they are winless in four having failed to beat struggling sides Wimbledon, Burton and Plymouth, while also losing, narrowly, at Cardiff and have dropped to seventh place, albeit with games in hand on all the teams above them.

Stevenage have scored just 26 goals and have a run of awkward matches before they tackle Posh. Posh have never lost at Stevenage, but they will need to be far less brittle than they were against another long-ball team in Lincoln to maintain that record. Stevenage have lost just once at home all season, to Cardiff.

PT Prediction: Stevenage 1, Posh 1.

January 31 v Huddersfield (home)

Historical EFL record

P12 W5 D2 L5

The Terriers are League One’s highest scorers with 45 (15 more than Posh) and they have one of the division’s leading talents in Leo Castledine. The on-loan Chelsea man has 12 goals in all competitions, including eight in his last 10 appearances, although there is a chance his parent club could recall him before he’s due at London Road.

Huddersfield are unbeaten in their last seven matches and are currently fourth. They beat Posh 3-2 at home in September and haven’t lost on their last two visits to London Road.

Historically it’s been very even. Posh last won this game 3-1 in a Championship fixture in 2012 when George Boyd netted a famous goal from close to the halfway line. Huddersfield have fewer points away from home (14) than Posh have managed (15). There’s a chance Posh could finish the month on a high.

PT Prediction: Posh 2, Huddersfield 1.

Overall monthly points prediction: 6.

FANS VIEWS

Predicted points from January games as told to @PTAlanSwann on X…

6 – Bolton p-p, Plymouth 3, Wycombe 0, Stevenage 0, Huddersfield 3 – @stivesposh

12 - allows for 2 draws (Bolton/Stevenage) or 1 defeat (Huddersfield) – @SidDay1

7 - We will beat Bolton and Plymouth, draw with Huddersfield and lose the 2 away games – @romysdad

7 or 9 – wins against Bolton and Plymouth and/or draw against Huddersfield, but defeats at Stevenage and Wycombe – @gmac193

15 – Posh sit in 6th place after January fixtures ready for a late assault on top 2! – @scarboroughsss