MX23RW : Thursday, January 30 19:15:29| >> :60:222:222:
[monks data]
Blackpool
Championship | Gameweek 21
Dec 4, 2021 at 3pm UK
Bloomfield Road
Luton Town

Blackpool
0 - 3
Luton

FT(HT: 0-1)
Bradley (42'), Adebayo (54'), Clark (90+1')

Preview: Blackpool vs. Luton Town - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Saturday's Championship clash between Blackpool and Luton Town, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Blackpool and Luton Town meet in the second tier for the first time in 43 years on Saturday afternoon at Bloomfield Road.

Both teams are enduring difficult runs of form; the Tangerines are currently 11th in the Championship table, two points ahead of the Hatters who are 15th.


Match preview

Blackpool's Gary Madine celebrates scoring his side's second goal on October 23, 2021© Reuters

Blackpool are without a win in their last five matches and have scored just two goals in that run, which has meant that they have dropped from sixth to six points behind the playoffs.

Despite dominating possession, Neil Critchley's side managed just one shot on target against Birmingham City last weekend and lost 1-0 at St. Andrew's, conceding in the 81st minute.

Finding the back of the net has certainly proved an issue at times and no team in the Championship have scored fewer goals at home this season than the Tangerines (seven).

Nonetheless, for Blackpool to be significantly closer to the top six than the bottom three with the season nearly at the halfway mark is testament to the excellent work that Critchley has done on the Lancashire coast.

Luton Town's Elijah Adebayo celebrates with teammates on September 29, 2021© Reuters

Like Blackpool, Luton were in the playoff positions only a few weeks ago, but have since taken just one point from their last four matches.

Nathan Jones admitted that he should have been "braver and bolder" when picking his team following a 2-1 defeat to Cardiff City last weekend.

Only four sides in the Championship have scored more goals than Luton this season (27), but the Hatters have won just twice on the road in 2021-22.

With a clash against league leaders Fulham to come next weekend, Jones will be eager to return to winning ways at Bloomfield Road.

Blackpool Championship form:
  • W
  • L
  • D
  • D
  • D
  • L

Luton Town Championship form:
  • L
  • W
  • L
  • L
  • D
  • L



Team News

Blackpool manager Neil Critchley reacts on November 23, 2021© Reuters

Richard Keogh could be in line to return in the centre of Blackpool's defence after recovering from a calf injury.

Goalkeeper Chris Maxwell featured in a friendly in midweek as he steps up his return from a quad injury, so he should not be too far away from Championship action.

Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel, Josh Bowler and Shayne Lavery are among the names pushing for a recall to the Tangerines' starting lineup.

Jones could recall players who he dropped to the bench against Cardiff last weekend, including Fred Onyedinma and Henri Lansbury.

Jordan Clark scored his first goal of the season against the Bluebirds so should keep his place in midfield.

Luke Berry remains sidelined with a knee injury, but it is hoped that his return is not too far away.

Blackpool possible starting lineup:
Grimshaw; Lawrence-Gabriel, Ekpiteta, Husband, James; Bowler, Wintle, Dougall, Anderson; Madine, Lavery

Luton Town possible starting lineup:
Sluga; Bree, Lockyer, Bradley, Naismith, Onyedinma; Clark, Mpanzu, Lansbury; Adebayo, Hylton


SM words green background

We say: Blackpool 1-1 Luton Town

Both teams will see this game as an opportunity to turn their form around, so it should be a hard-fought, scrappy game in Lancashire. We think that they could cancel each other out and both take home a point that neither side will be particularly happy with.



Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 2.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Under 2.5:data



ID:471679:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect7948:
Written by
Olly Allen

Data Analysis

Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Luton Town win with a probability of 38.55%. A win for Blackpool had a probability of 33.07% and a draw had a probability of 28.4%.

The most likely scoreline for a Luton Town win was 0-1 with a probability of 12.15%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-2 (7.95%) and 0-2 (7.3%). The likeliest Blackpool win was 1-0 (11.02%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (13.24%). The actual scoreline of 0-3 was predicted with a 2.9% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted that Luton Town would win this match.


Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!


Game History

How you voted: Blackpool vs Luton

Blackpool
50.9%
Draw
28.1%
Luton Town
21.1%
57
Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
A general shot of Blackpool stadium Bloomfield Road
Read Next:
Blackpool: Transfer ins and outs - Summer 2021
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free daily transfer newsletter! Sent twice a day during the transfer window.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Birmingham CityBirmingham26186244182660
2Wycombe WanderersWycombe28177454292558
3Wrexham28157641241752
4Huddersfield TownHuddersfield27146739231648
5Stockport CountyStockport28138743281547
6Leyton Orient27135940241644
7Bolton WanderersBolton28135104342144
8Charlton AthleticCharlton2712783426843
9Barnsley28126104139242
10Reading27125104241141
11Lincoln CityLincoln28108103433138
12Mansfield TownMansfield26114113432237
13Blackpool2791083938137
14Rotherham UnitedRotherham27107103231137
15Stevenage2610792324-137
16Wigan AthleticWigan2796122627-133
17Exeter CityExeter2895143242-1032
18Peterborough UnitedPeterborough2886144452-830
19Bristol Rovers2784152543-1828
20Northampton TownNorthampton2869132543-1827
21Burton Albion2859143044-1424
22Crawley TownCrawley2666142646-2024
23Cambridge UnitedCambridge2756162849-2121
24Shrewsbury TownShrewsbury2755172647-2120


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!