Lincoln City vs Accrington Stanley Predictions

Having made light work of winning League Two last season, Lincoln come into their first ever League One campaign with a reasonable amount of expectancy on their shoulders. Under the astute management of Danny Cowley and brother Nicky, the Imps have made a habit of settling in once winning promotion, so fans and neutrals alike are expecting Lincoln to take the jump from tier four to three in their stride, much like Accrington did last term.

Unlike many clubs at this level, Lincoln have had a relatively quiet summer in the transfer market. A lack of movement could be cause for concern, though it’s worth remembering that this is a Lincoln side that was built with League One in mind last season. What’s more, although they haven’t brought in any great number of players, the Imps have shrewdly added no shortage of quality by signing Jack Payne, Joe Morrell and Jorge Grant. All three have signed from Championship clubs, while Payne has lots of League One experience on his CV.

Accrington, who continue to operate above their means thanks to shrewd management/ownership, have been slightly more active in the market during the off-season. They no longer have industrious midfielder Dan Barlaser, who was only on loan last term, though they’ve managed to keep all other important players. In addition, they’ve bolstered their ranks by signing Joe Maguire from Fleetwood, Ben Barclay from Brighton and Joe Pritchard from Bolton. Lamine Sherif, who has joined on loan from Leicester, could also turn out to be a useful recruit.

In the betting, Lincoln come into this match as warm favourites, which isn’t overly surprising given they’re at home and their upwardly mobile profile. However, it’s not too difficult to feel that that the hosts are a tad too short.

Accrington, who finished in the top half of the away table last season, are no easy team to beat; they’re well organised, hard working and have players who top up the all-round graft with a touch of class, such as Billy Kee and Sean McConville. Stanley also finished the last campaign by beating Doncaster and drawing with Portsmouth, both of whom finished in the top six. Coleman’s men also ended up in the top half for expected goals for, shots on target and touches in the opposition box, so they really are no mugs.

At the end of the day, the visitors look too big in the betting and thus a punt on ‘Accrington Draw No Bet’ offers opening-day punters a slither of value. Lincoln should settle into life at this level without too much of a fuss, but they’re unlikely to emerge as top dogs, which is what they were in League Two last season. Quite simply, going against the hosts ahead of what is a tough opening fixture isn’t tough to do, especially at the prices.