Mansfield vs Colchester Prediction: Routine victory for the high-flying Stags

League Two leaders Mansfield Town welcome relegation-threatened Colchester United to Field Mill on Saturday afternoon (12:30) looking to strengthen their position at the top of the table.

Nigel Clough's side are currently enjoying a five-point cushion in the automatic promotion places but with just eight games left to go, they have a real shot at taking this year's title. This week they are facing a Colchester side that are currently sitting outside of the bottom two on goal difference. Here are our Mansfield vs Colchester predictions, which includes team news and match odds.

Match Odds

Mansfield are as short as 4/11 to pick up their 21st win of the season. Colchester can be backed at 11/2 to pull off an upset in Nottinghamshire, while the draw is valued at 7/2. Both teams to score is on offer at 8/13 and over 2.5 goals is 4/9.

The Stags' Davis Keillor-Dunn has scored 19 goals in the fourth tier this term and is priced at 7/2 to open proceedings. Teammate Lucas Akins has scored 12 himself and is 7/5 to score anytime.

Team News

The hosts have no fresh injury concerns heading into the weekend's clash. After a five-goal showing at Bradford City last time out, in which Keillor-Dunn and Akins both netted, Clough and his players will be feeling very confident heading into this one, and they'll be raring to go again.

Colchester's biggest injury concern right now is defender Fiacre Kelleher, who has been out of action since December. The visitors have not picked up a win since the end of January and in their current predicament, that needs to change quickly.

Losing loan striker Joe Taylor, who scored 12 goals for the Essex outfit, to promotion-chasing Lincoln City in League One has hindered their chances of survival, but midfielder Cameron McGeehan has chipped in with eight goals himself this year, and his teammates will look to him for inspiration in the final run-in.

Mansfield -1 handicap @ 11/10

Clough's team have been box office-viewing in League Two this year and have done brilliantly to get into their current position alongside financially-backed clubs Wrexham and Stockport County.

They have been free-scoring throughout the campaign and no team has scored more than their total of 78. The Stags have goals coming from all over the pitch which has massively aided them in their promotion push and we think that they could be in for another prolific afternoon in the fourth tier.

After putting five past Bradford last week, the players are in red-hot form and are about to face a team in a much worse position than the Bantams. That is why we think the Stags are worth backing with a -1 handicap, because they should be able out outgun Colchester with ease as they look to tighten their hold at the top of the table.

Davis Keillor-Dunn to score anytime @ EVS

With that in mind, we fancy Mansfield's leading marksman to add to his tally this weekend. Considering Keillor-Dunn is a midfielder, it makes his goalscoring exploits this year that much more impressive.

He will be feeling extra-motivated to score this weekend because it would take his tally to 20 in the league, and it is a milestone he would probably like to enjoy on home soil. Given the form that both he and his side have been in throughout the season, goal number 20 could well be on the cards on Saturday afternoon.

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