Grimsby Town vs Forest Green Rovers Predictions

• Grimsby conceded at least 1 goal in 79% of their home matches.
• Forest Green have scored in 73% of their away matches.
• Forest Green have conceded 2 goals or more in each of their last 4 matches.

Turning a corner

The appointment of charismatic manager Holloway has brought plenty of attention to Grimsby Town, but alongside that it has also brought plenty of positivity for the Mariners. Holloway had been out of management since leaving QPR in May 2018 but the 56-year-old agreed to come back to the club and succeed Michael Jolley, who was sacked in November after a seven-game winless run.

The always entertaining manager has so far had a solid start to his time with the Mariners ad he has managed to put an end to the run of results which saw Grimsby fail to score more than once in a game for 15 games. The hosts managed to find the back of the net five times in their last two outings and this increased goal threat will be essential in them maintaining their spot in the Football League.

A drop in form

Forest Green Rovers enjoyed an excellent start to the season as they won plenty of their opening fixtures and put in an excellent platform to build from for the rest of their campaign. Much of that early success came thanks to a solid defensive base and the 27 goals they have conceded so far this season means they currently have the fourth best defensive record in the division.

However, things have tailed off over the last month or so and they go into this contest having claimed just nine points from their last 10 league matches. While they are known for their defensive stability, such poor form may have forced Rovers into a new approach as their last four matches have seen an impressive total of 14 goals scored.

The hosts should come out on top

With the form of both of these sides clearly going in a different direction, it is probably easy to work out what we expect to happen in this one. The hosts are performing much better of last and their increased ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis means that they have much more chance at claiming the three points. Meanwhile, the visitors have lost each of their last three matches and whilst they are known for their defensive strength, they have conceded 11 times over the same time period. With this in mind, backing a home win but, given the recent history of Grimsby, adding the safety net of the “Draw – No Bet” clause is a smart move to make.

In terms of a correct score, the hosts have scored an average of a goal per game at home but, as already discussed, this has been improving. Given that they have also conceded an average of 1.36 goals per game at home and the visitors have scored 1.47 goals per game goals per game on the road and have been conceding so regularly of late, backing a 2-1 home win looks to be the way to go.