This is an EFL Cup first-round tie between two League One clubs, with a place in round two at stake. CheckLive has not named a favourite, so it looks evenly matched — a draw is a real possibility and the tie feels too close to call.
Both sides come in off pre-season friendlies rather than competitive matches. Bristol Rovers drew 2-2 with Forest Green Rovers and 1-1 with Portsmouth, lost 1-2 to Leicester City, and beat Salisbury 3-2 and Weston Super Mare 3-0; Peterborough United lost 0-2 to West Bromwich Albion and 0-1 to Boston United, but beat York City 2-1, Peterborough Sports 1-0 and Colchester United 3-2.
The head-to-head record favours Peterborough: from eight previous meetings they have four wins, Bristol Rovers two, with two draws. The most recent meeting, in League One in February, went Bristol Rovers' way 3-1, but pre-season form counts for little once the cup competition starts. The key thing to watch is which side adapts fastest to competitive football in what looks a genuine toss-up.
