Grimsby vs Gillingham Prediction

Right then, let's have a proper look at this League Two showdown between two sides who're knocking on the door of the playoff spots. Grimsby sit in 5th with 21 points, while Gillingham are just one point better off in 3rd - proper tight at the top, ain't it?

Now, here's where it gets interesting. Grimsby's recent form has been a bit of a rollercoaster, hasn't it? They put seven past Cheltenham in what must've been a right old party, but then they've had some proper stinkers at home - losing to Colchester (1-2), getting battered by Doncaster (0-3) in the Trophy, and a 3-0 loss to Barnet. In fact, their home form's been shocking recently, winning just 20% of their last five at their own gaff. They're scoring goals (1.6 per game) but they're also leaking them at the back (1.5 per game).

Gillingham, on the other hand, have been a bit more steady. They've had a little dip lately, mind - losing to MK Dons (2-3) and Harrogate (0-1) in their last couple of league outings. But overall, they're tighter at the back, only letting in 1.1 goals per game compared to Grimsby's 1.5. Away from home, they're not too shabby either, winning 40% of their travels and banging in 1.8 goals per game on the road.

When these two have met before, it's usually been a right tight affair. Out of six meetings, there's been two wins for Grimsby, three draws, and just one for Gillingham. Crucially, only one of those six games has seen over 2.5 goals - tells you something about how these matches usually pan out, doesn't it? The last time they met was a 1-1 draw.

Looking at the stats, both teams tend to find the net. Grimsby have seen both teams score in half their recent games, while Gillingham have seen it happen 60% of the time. And in their head-to-heads, both teams have scored in four out of six matches.

The bookies have got BTTS at 1.80, which looks about right to me. Given both teams' scoring rates and the fact that Grimsby are a bit leaky at home while Gillingham can score on their travels, I reckon we'll see both sides get on the scoresheet.