Grimsby Town
- Grimsby finished in the playoff places in League Two on 78 points in 2025-26.
- Grimsby won 4-0 at Swindon and 2-1 at Cambridge before falling short in the playoffs.
Blackpool
- Blackpool finished 13th in League One in all competitions in 2025-26.
- Ian Evatt's side will usually line up in a back-three system with wing-backs in Blackpool's build-up.
Head-to-Head
Blackpool and Grimsby have played each other only sparingly since 2016, with Grimsby having the better of the H2H record.
Grimsby Town
- Cameron McJannet has already shown he has the cool steel to play the big game for Grimsby Town as his late goals have been decisive, including a 94th-minute winner at Cambridge in the run-in.
- Sullay Kaikai is Grimsby's livewire outlet and can cause problems for the opposition with his goals and delivery.
- Christy Pym is a reliable last line of defence, but Artell's side will need to keep Ashley Fletcher quiet in this one as Fletcher was Blackpool's top scorer in 2025-26 and is their main box threat.
Blackpool
- Blackpool have some quality on the wings to stretch Grimsby's full-backs.
- Josh Bowler and Scott Banks can provide pace and trickery that could seriously trouble a League Two team if given the opportunity to cut inside and cross.
Betting Insights
- The Tangerines are available at around 2.7 on most betting platforms, a touch ahead of the home side at 2.42, and the draw at 3.5.
- Blackpool's superior class and league quality should be reflected in the game odds, but this is the sort of cup tie where the lower league side can come to life or where one piece of magic can change the whole game.
- Both teams to score at 1.67 seems a good fit for the kind of game we are expecting - a competitive tie.
Prediction
- The best angle on the game is probably for Blackpool to edge it by a goal, with 2-1 the cleanest read on the goal odds.
- Over 2.5 goals is a shorter price than under, but 2-1 on Saturday looks a solid play.
- But this is a cup competition and there is a chance that this will be a cagey affair that goes to penalties in the first round.
