Gillingham v Lincoln City betting tip: Under 2.5 Goals, 2019-11-16

Warren Burrell/Harrogate Town © imago images / PA Images 11.11.2019

GILLINGHAM vs LINCOLNNepal
Saturday 16th November 1500hrs
Football – England – League One
Pick Under 2.5 Goals
Bookmaker Bet365
Odds: 1.72 (odds taken 13:03 GMT, 14 November )

There’s nothing to separate Gillingham and Lincoln after sixteen games played in League One, with the teams occupying 16th and 17th in the division and both sides will regard this match as an opportunity to climb the table.

League One Betting at Unibet

Gillingham Prediction – Can Gills Build on FA Cup draw at Sunderland?

The Gills have really struggled to land victories this season and it’s possible that Steve Evans’ side will get dragged into a relegation scrap despite the fact that only three teams go down from League One this season and Bolton Wanderers still have a negative points total after being slapped with a deduction.

Indeed, the Kent side enjoyed their first victory of the season against these opponents although the 5-0 win was achieved against weak and youthful opposition, while the other three point hauls have come against Wycombe, Southend and Accrington.

With such a low win ratio, it’s hard to get excited about backing them for a victory in this game, although the 1-1 FA Cup draw at Sunderland was a decent result, with Oliver Lee scoring an equaliser at the Stadium of Light although goals continues to be a problem for the Kent side.

Strike Mikael Mandron has only managed to score twice since arriving at the Priestfield Stadium, while Brandon Hanlan has fared marginally better although the Gills are certainly missing the departed Tom Eaves and they’ve managed just nine goals in their seven home matches with the exception of Bolton.

Gillingham v Lincoln Both teams to score
Yes1.80
No1.95

Bet at bet365

Evans will sense that his team’s opponents aren’t in a great place after the departure of the Cowley brothers to Huddersfield although the last home match involving Gillingham saw Rotherham United head back north after a handsome 3-0 victory and it’s therefore hard to be confident when it comes to backing the home team.

Midfielder Stuart O’Keefe has been a smart acquisition from Cardiff and teams up well with the long-serving Mark Byrne, although there’s an absence of creativity in the team and surely Evans will already be considering bolstering the squad’s attacking options in January.

Lincoln Prediction – Appleton Keeping Things Tight with Red Imps

Lincoln City enjoyed a procession to the League Two title last season, with Danny Cowley having worked miracles at Sincil Bank by firstly steering them back to the Football League before engineering another promotion.

Many expected the Red Imps to be top seven material this term and they enjoyed a flying start which saw the team enjoy four consecutive victories. Ironically, one of the wins occurred in the EFL Cup at Huddersfield and perhaps the board members of the latter noticed the performance to the extent that Cowley was snapped up to manage the Terriers.

Since that bright opening to the campaign, Lincoln have struggled rather badly and they’re now occupying a place near the foot of the division along with fellow promoted teams MK Dons and Tranmere Rovers. Perhaps there is a gulf in quality between League One and League Two on the current evidence.

Indeed, since beating Southend 4-0 on 17 August, the Red Imps have won on just two occasions and there has been just the one victory since Michael Appleton took charge, with this win occurring at Sincil Bank against an erratic Sunderland team.

The 43-year-old has a decent amount of experience under his belt after being in charge of clubs such as Oxford United, Blackpool and Portsmouth, although he’s got his work cut out following in the footsteps of a pioneer like Cowley who was effectively king at this football club.

Since a brutal 6-0 drubbing at home to Oxford, there has been a clear intention to go back to basics from a defensive point-of-view and we’ve noticed a succession of low-scoring encounters that have taken place.

The last seven matches involving Lincoln have all seen two or less goals being scored, with a 1-1 draw at Ipswich Town being a case in hand, with that game preceded by a goalless draw against Shrewsbury along with a slender defeat at Portsmouth and a 1-1 draw at Wimbledon.

Jason Shackell continues to be a hardy battler in central defence for City, with Tyler Walker and Bruno Andrade the current selected pairing in attack, while John Akinde has found it tougher to score goals at a higher level and has just three on the board this season.

Key-Facts – Gillingham v Lincoln

  • Gillingham have scored 3 goals in 5 games
  • Lincoln have lost 6 away games
  • Lincoln have won 1 League One game since August

Betting Tips Verdict

Given the team’s tendency to consider safety-first options at this point in the season, it makes sense to lean towards the Under 2.5 Goals quote and it’s likely to be a fairly drab encounter for those attending the Priestfield Stadium on Saturday.

It’s plausible to back the draw at a decent price considering a 0-0 or 1-1 draw could easily cop, although we’ll stick with the safer option of a low goal count considering that both teams have a lousy win ratio and are currently experiencing issues when it comes to finding the net.