Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town have won two and lost three of their last five, including a 4-1 defeat at Crewe Alexandra and a recent 2-1 loss at Oldham Athletic.
Grimsby Town
Grimsby drew their most recent away game, a 0-0 tie at Cambridge United, while Cheltenham have won two of their last three at home.
Head-to-Head
- Grimsby Town's last two meetings between these clubs were a 1-1 draw and a 7-1 win in a matter of three months, and Grimsby are a much more settled team now under David Artell’s leadership and should be able to win Saturday’s away fixture at Cheltenham Town.
- The Mariners are 11th in League Two on 37 points from 25 games, while the Robins are 18th on 30 points from 26, so there is a seven-point gap in their league standings.
Key Players
- Otis Khan’s direct running from wide areas has been a constant threat, while Charles Vernam has been a model of consistency with six goals in 25 League Two matches.
- Hakeeb Adelakun has been Cheltenham’s best player this season with 3 goals in 11 games and will be the direct threat from midfield, but no Robins player has matched Vernam’s impact on his team’s fortunes.
- Will Goodwin’s pace and work rate have been a big asset for Cheltenham as he can stretch defences and create space for others to get into.
Betting Insights
- The bookmakers’ perception of this contest is that it will be very close, with Grimsby as the favorites at 1.98, Cheltenham as long shots at 3.7 and the draw at 3.4.
- Our recommendation is to back the away team in the double chance market because the superior recent league form, head-to-head record and attacking quality should see them through to a result.
- There is clearly a difference in the amount of direct firepower that these two teams have and, given that Under 2.5 goals is priced up at 1.83, the bookmakers are leaning towards a fairly cagey game.
Prediction
- They can overpower lesser sides, as they did against Cheltenham three months ago.
- But Grimsby’s attacking style and ability to win the ball in wide areas should give them enough to edge this one.
- This will be a chess match with the onus on the hosts to press Grimsby into errors at times, although it is more likely that this will be settled by the quality of transition play and the efficiency of each team in set-pieces.
