Grimsby and Crewe have both had strong starts this weekend and they should put on an exciting encounter on Saturday
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Grimsby are backed in the draw no bet market against Crewe Alexandra this weekend (Getty Images)
Grimsby Town vs Crewe Alexandra Preview, Predictions & Betting Tips
Two of League Two’s in-form teams come face to face at Blundell Park this weekend when Grimsby Town face Crewe Alexandra.
Grimsby Town Form & Team News
Grimsby Town have been one of the surprise packages of League Two so far this season. They sit in fourth place in League Two with their last league outing seeing them pick up a comfortable 3-1 victory away at Walsall.
Elliot Whitehouse grabbed one of the goals while James Hanson rounded out the scoring by grabbing a brace. The former Bradford City striker has netted five goals for Grimsby this season.
Manager Michael Jolley is likely to stick with a similar 11 to the one he has played so far this campaign. Matt Green, Moses Ogbu and James Hanson are likely to start up front for the Mariners. In-form defender Luke Waterfall should hold his place at centre-back alongside Swedish defender Ludvig Ohman.
Grimsby are priced at 2.70 to win the match with bet365. These are generous odds but a safer approach would be to take them in the draw no bet market at 1.85.
Crewe have lost on their last two visits to Blundell Park (Getty Images)
Crewe Alexandra Form & Team News
Crewe Alexandra have also been a strong side so far this season. The Alex sit third in the League Two table having won four and lost two of their opening six matches in League Two.
Their last league match saw them defeat Bradford City 2-1 at home with goals from Tom Lowery and Charlie Kirk. Their last away game didn’t end so nicely with them losing 1-0 against Newport thanks to a last-minute goal from Padraig Amond.
Manager David Artell did no business on the final day of the transfer window and has no new injuries or suspensions to worry about. He is likely to name a similar eleven to the one who played against Bradford City.
Experienced striker Chris Porter is likely to keep his place in the team and Charlie Kirk should keep his place alongside him. Loanee Chuma Anene could also make more of an appearance after coming off the bench in recent games.
Crewe are narrow favourites for the match at odds of 2.50 with bet365. Grimsby will present a difficult test for them though and I fancy them to lose this one.
Grimsby Town vs Crewe Head to Head
In the 17 games that the two teams have played against one another, Grimsby have recorded three victories. Crewe have come out on top in 10 of their encounters. Their last match ended in a 2-0 victory to Grimsby at the end of last season.
Grimsby Town vs Crewe Alexandra Match Up
Grimsby and Crewe have both been exceptional teams so far this season. Both teams have defied their pre-season predictions so far and Saturday’s game is very close to call.
Grimsby have looked especially sharp at home however and striker James Hanson is in excellent for The Mariners. They should have enough to secure the victory but a bet on the draw no bet market provides a safety net.
David Artell has taken Crewe into the playoff spots in League Two (Getty Images)
Grimsby Town vs Crewe Alexandra Key Statistics
Grimsby Town have won 3 of their last 5 home matches in League Two.
Grimsby Town have scored 2+ goals in their last 3 matches in League Two.
Crewe Alexandra have lost 3 of their last 4 matches in all competitions.
Crewe Alexandra have lost their last 2 games at Blundell Park (League Two).
Crewe Alexandra have failed to keep a clean sheet in 8 of their last 9 matches in all competitions.
Verdict
Crewe have lost three of their last four matches including a 6-1 thrashing against Aston Villa. Home advantage should see Grimsby pick up the victory and I'm backing them in the draw no bet market.
Best Bet: Grimsby Draw No Bet @17/20 at bet365 - 3 Units
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Available to new customers only. Make a qualifying deposit of £5 or more and claim the offer within 30 days of registering your account to qualify for 300% of that amount in Bet Credits, up to a maximum of £30 in Bet Credits. Once released, your Bet Credits will be held in your account balance and are non-withdrawable. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Registration required. Time limits and T&Cs apply.
