- Gillingham have won four of their five home matches in League Two this season, conceding just 0.40 goals per game.
- Cheltenham Town are yet to register a win away from home in League Two this term, taking just 1 draw and 4 defeats.
Ainsworth’s attack vs Cotterill’s counter
Gillingham are the clear favourites at 1.6 for this Saturday’s clash with Cheltenham Town, who are big long shots at 5.25 on the road. The gap in odds is understandable as the Gills sit fourth in League Two with 21 points from 11 games and are pushing the promotion pace, while Cheltenham are down in 22nd with just seven points from their first 11.
Steve Cotterill is the latest man to take the hot seat at the club that has become a revolving door for managers, but the manager appears to have made a positive start to his return in charge of the Robins. They’ve gone from being hammered 7-1 at Grimsby Town to beating Fleetwood Town 2-0 at home in their most recent match.
The former Burnley and Swansea City boss has been much more pragmatic in his setups this time around, preferring a more structured look with his wing-backs and overloading the wide areas when in possession. The change to a more defensive approach was in full swing for the victory over Fleetwood and they should be able to contain this game enough to secure a result on the south coast, according to our Gillingham vs Cheltenham Town prediction.
Gillingham can’t afford to slip up
Gillingham boss Gareth Ainsworth is another high-energy coach who sets his team up to play on the front foot. This Gillingham vs Cheltenham Town preview highlights how both teams like to press relentlessly and transition quickly from attack to defence and vice versa, often changing formations to suit the game or exploit a perceived weakness in the opposition.
It’s a tactic that has produced four wins from five at Priestfield this year, but the hosts have slipped up with one win and one defeat from their last two games at the stadium. The latest Gillingham vs Cheltenham Town prediction suggests that back-to-back losses, including a 3-2 defeat at Milton Keynes Dons and a 1-0 slip-up at home to Harrogate, have knocked the momentum of the Kent club a little and they can’t really afford to fall behind Cheltenham this weekend.
Armani Little tops the scoring charts for Gillingham in League Two with three goals from seven appearances so far, but his contribution comes mostly from his creativity and ability to finish off good moves in tight spots, which should be plentiful in this contest. Ethon Archer is the most creative of the Cheltenham players with two assists in League Two this campaign, while Isaac Hutchinson is their leading scorer with four goals in 11 appearances, two of which have come in the last five games.
Robins will make it tough, but Gills should edge it
Backing Gillingham to win at odds-on is good enough for us in this spot, but Cheltenham should keep it tight enough to make it a hard-fought battle. When considering Gillingham vs Cheltenham Town betting tips, the ‘Under 2.5 goals’ option looks like a good play at 1.77 as both sides have been involved in low-scoring affairs in recent weeks. For the final Gillingham vs Cheltenham Town prediction, we see the Gills just edging a narrow contest.
