Doncaster Rovers will be looking to put an end to a four-game winless run on Saturday when they travel to Stadium MK to take on MK Dons.
The hosts have enjoyed a run of three consecutive league wins, seeing them rise to 13th spot in the League One table, while Rovers' dip in form has seen them drop to fifth spot, losing ground on the top four.
Match preview
MK Dons recorded a 2-1 win away at Burton Albion last Saturday, as Scott Fraser and Warren O'Hora got on the scoresheet before Lucas Akins pulled a goal back for the hosts.
Before that, they secured a win late on against Plymouth Argyle, as the game was balanced at 1-1 until the 89th minute, when the Dons won a penalty which Cameron Jerome converted to seal all three points for his side.
As a result of their positive run of form, Russell Martin's side have moved up to 13th spot in League One, having previously been threatened by relegation earlier in the season.
Given how tight the top half of the league is, the Dons now sit just five points behind the playoff places, although there are plenty of sides above them all waiting to pounce on any mistakes made by the likes of Doncaster and Blackpool.
While the top six will not be on Martin's mind, he will be focused on securing another win on Saturday, which could see them continue their impressive rise up the table.
However, they take on a Doncaster Rovers side who will be desperate to return to winning ways, as they look to cling onto their playoff place.
The Rovers salvaged a point away at Gillingham last time out, as the hosts led 2-0 inside four minutes, before goals from Tom Anderson and James Coppinger levelled the game and sealed a point for the Yorkshire outfit.
That followed a concerning 3-0 away defeat to Oxford United, as Matt Taylor netted a brace before Olamide Shodipo added a third before half time to seal the victory for the 11th-placed side.
Since manager Darren Moore left to join Sheffield Wednesday, former Doncaster player Andy Butler has taken charge of the side, and he started strongly with 2-1 wins over Portsmouth and Plymouth Argyle.
However, he has been unable to continue that run, with Doncaster picking up just two points from the four games since then.
As a result, while they still sit fifth, the Rovers remain just one point above seventh-placed Charlton Athletic, while there are several clubs below also in hot pursuit of the playoff places, meaning Butler's men will quickly have to return to form if they are to keep hold of their top-six status.
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Team News
The only certain absentee for MK Dons is attacker Kieran Agard, who is expected to be out for the remainder of the season with an injury.
Russell Martin has kept the same starting team for the last five games, but he hinted in his latest press conference that he could switch things up for Saturday.
That could mean opportunities for the likes of Will Grigg, Joe Mason and Ben Gladwin, who have all been forced to endure long spells on the bench.
Doncaster will come into this game without winger Josh Sims, who has returned to his parent club Southampton for scans after picking up a concerning leg injury.
They will also be without Manchester City loanee Matthew Smith, who is away on international duties with Wales.
Their only other absentee should be Jon Taylor, who remains out with a long-term injury.
However, midfielder John Bostock could return to the side after a spell out with a hamstring injury, as Butler confirmed he would be training on Friday.
The midfield will be led by veteran captain James Coppinger, who recently made his 600th appearance for the Rovers at age 40.
MK Dons possible starting lineup:
Fisher; O'Hora, Darling, Lewington; Laird, Gladwin, McEachran, Surman, Sorinola; Grigg, Fraser
Doncaster Rovers possible starting lineup:
Jones; Halliday, Wright, Anderson, Horton; Bostock, James; Lokilo, Coppinger, Okenabirhie; Bogle
We say: MK Dons 2-1 Doncaster Rovers
While the league table does point to a Doncaster advantage in this game, given the trajectories of the sides, we would not look past the Dons springing somewhat of a surprise result on the Yorkshire outfit and recording a fourth consecutive win.
Martin's side look to be playing at the peak of their powers right now, just as Doncaster Rovers are hitting a slump in the absence of Darren Moore, and we feel that those factors add to a Dons victory on Saturday.
Top tip
Sam Varley
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a MK Dons win with a probability of 42.4%. A win for Doncaster Rovers had a probability of 31.37% and a draw had a probability of 26.2%.
The most likely scoreline for a MK Dons win was 1-0 with a probability of 10.6%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (8.81%) and 2-0 (7.49%). The likeliest Doncaster Rovers win was 0-1 (8.84%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.48%). The actual scoreline of 1-0 was predicted with a 10.6% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted a 1-0 win for MK Dons in this match.
