Stevenage will attempt another giant killing act when they travel to Stoke City for an FA Cup fourth round fixture. While they are likely to trouble Stoke in this one, their record on the road means the hosts are likely to have the edge here.
Stoke City overcame a League Two side in the previous round as they claimed a 3-0 victory at Hartlepool. Despite being helped by two own goals, they were still comfortable all through with Jacob Brown also getting his name on the score sheet.
Results like that have been few and far between for Stoke City, who have battled with inconsistency for much of the season. However, they will still head into Saturday’s clash off the back of a 4-0 home victory over Reading in the Championship last Saturday.
While it was an excellent result for Stoke City, the performance will also be pleasing to manager Alex Neil, who will be keen to use it as a springboard. However, one thing the Potters must replicate is their defensive solidity having kept just two clean sheets in their last 11 matches across all competitions.
Stevenage will head into Saturday’s clash with plenty of confidence after knocking out a Premier League side in the previous round of the competition. They fought back from a goal down to claim a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa thanks to late goals from Jamie Reid and Dean Campbell.
The result shows that Stevenage can defy their lower league status and hold their own against bigger opponents. That confidence has been evident in recent weeks as Steve Evans’ men are unbeaten in their last five matches, claiming four wins in that run, including a 3-0 League Two victory Leyton Orient last Saturday.
While Stevenage will be basking in their result at Aston Villa, their away form has been slightly erratic in recent weeks. They have claimed just the one win in their last four away matches across all competitions, with a 3-0 EFL Trophy defeat to Portsmouth among the results in that run.
How the bookies view it
Stoke City have the upper hand among the bookies and are priced at 3/5 by bet365 to claim the win. A victory for Stevenage is valued at 11/2 by Paddy Power while a draw is set at odds of 3/1 by bet365.
Head to head
There has been only one previous meeting between both teams with Stoke City claiming a 4-0 victory in a League Cup clash back in 2016.
Players to watch
Jacob Brown has been in good form for Stoke City lately, scoring in two of his last three matches. The attacker will be the one to watch on Saturday and is priced at 21/10 by bet365 to get on the score sheet.
Stevenage have plenty of attacking quality but Jamie Reid has been particularly impressive in recent weeks. The forward has scored in two of his last three matches and is priced at 5/1 by William Hill to find the net on Saturday.
Anything else catch the eye?
Stoke City and Stevenage are often unconvincing at the back and given their attacking quality, both teams could be backed to score at 11/10 with Betfred. Over 2.5 goals could also be considered at 11/10 with bet365 while over 3.5 goals is valued at 14/5 by Paddy Power.
Stoke City had goals in both halves in the win over Reading and could be set for a repeat at 13/8 with Paddy Power. With the Potters given minimal odds for a straight victory, a win and over 2.5 goals offers more value at 9/5 with 10bet.
This FA Cup match between Stoke City and Stevenage will be played on Jan 28, 2023 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Stoke City vs Stevenage prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
