Mansfield Town's 3-2 victory over Swindon last time out was their fifth league win in succession, as Nigel Clough's side become increasingly difficult to ignore in the playoff scramble, especially with the form of Rhys Oates and Ryan Stirk. Walsall finished 2021 with four clean sheets in seven league games, but one can only presume defenders were spiked at the New Year's Eve get-together, with the Saddlers having subsequently shipped six goals in two games. The Black Country outfit are six points off the playoffs and could still bridge that gap with a strong second half of the season, but the likelihood is that Matthew Taylor will get another chance to crack the top seven next season. 4:2