Stoke

vs

Oldham Athletic

Preview

Stoke

• Stoke have won 2, drawn 2 and lost 6 of their last 10 in all competitions, so there is still plenty of cup danger for the home side.
• Stoke have won 1 and lost 1 of their 2 home games this season, scoring 0.80 and conceding 1.60.

Oldham Athletic

• Oldham Athletic have won 3, drawn 1 and lost 6 of their last 10 competitive games (all-competitions).
• Oldham Athletic have won 1 and lost 4 of their 5 on the road, scoring 1.60 and conceding 2.00.

Betting Insights

• Stoke are 1.41 favorites for this game, with Oldham Athletic out at 6.4 and the tie at 4.85.
• Over 2.5 goals looks good at 1.57 while BTTS Yes is just as good at 1.75.
• I'm opting for a Stoke win and under 3.5 goals as there should be enough of a gulf in quality for the hosts to get the job done, but the visitors will be no walkovers if they land a goal early.

Prediction

• The early game on Saturday sees Stoke take on Oldham Athletic at the Bet365 Stadium in the EFL Cup 2026-2027 and the League One hosts should be favoured to make the next round.
• A 3-0 win over Accrington Stanley in midweek.
• Defeats to Newport County and Bolton have seen the Latics' momentum blunted somewhat.
• Mark Robins' side look built to squeeze the middle, win the duels in waves and break quickly when they nick it back.
• They're set up to play either a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3, where the pressing will be more about timing than the ball-harassing that most modern teams employ.
• In terms of the timing of their pressing, the Potters will have more of the ball and must prevent Oldham from punishing Stoke's high line with quick counter-punches.
• Oldham will look to punish any gaps in Stoke's lines and they'll be looking for their players to arrive in numbers when they get the ball.
• Micky Mellon's men have set up in a variety of 3-5-2 and 4-2-3-1 systems and they're all about hitting space early and turning the game into a duel-heavy, counter-fuelled game.