It’s Premier League vs League One in this FA Cup tie as two teams struggling for league form face off hoping to extend their cup runs as they look for something positive out of their seasons.
FA Cup
Bet on Ipswich Town to win
Our 3 predictions for Ipswich Town vs Bristol Rovers
- 1st prediction: Ipswich Town to win
- 2nd prediction: Over 2.5 goals in the match
- 3rd prediction: Both teams to score
1st prediction for Ipswich Town vs Bristol Rovers – Ipswich Town to win 7/100
This might not be an absolute thrashing, and could even go to extra time or penalties, but Ipswich have got to be favourites. As the Premier League side, they’ve got an abundance of attacking talent, but they’re likely to leave this game to the old guard who represented them in League One and got them promoted. That team was once of the best the third tier has seen in years, so even with rotation they’ll fancy their chances. Bristol Rovers do have hope though, with a potential new manager bounce and the constant danger of slip ups in the FA Cup, they’ll look to this game as an opportunity for a giant-killing.
2nd prediction for Ipswich Town vs Bristol Rovers: Over 2.5 goals in the game 11/25
There’s going to be goals in this one, but potentially not to the point where it’s a cup classic. Ipswich play good football and scored plenty when they were in the EFL under Kieran McKenna, though the quality of the Premier League has halted that slightly. They’ll be able to play as expansively as they used to, so will have plenty of chances against a Rovers side who will also attack. As always with knockout football, teams go for it more as they try to progress. Given that replays have been scrapped, sides need to go for the win rather than a draw, so it’s likely there will be plenty of attacking football on display, and plenty of goals.
3rd prediction for Ipswich Town vs Bristol Rovers: Both teams to score 23/25
This is a game that Ipswich are pretty strong favourites to win, but it won’t be completely plain sailing. Bristol Rovers have a new boss in Inigo Calderon so will be hoping for a new manager bounce, and will be looking to a cup run to add something positive to what has been a pretty miserable season thus far. As for Ipswich, this represents even more of an opportunity. They’ve really struggled back in the Premier League and a cup run would be priceless for them, though a home tie to lower league opposition does give them a chance. They’ll likely score more, but with Bristol Rovers’ new regime they’ll give it a good go and could score themselves.
Best odds for Ipswich Town vs Bristol Rovers
| Bookmaker | Ipswich Town | Bristol Rovers |
| MyriadPlay | 7/100 | 9/2 |
| Betarno | 24/100 | 15/2 |
Full preview of the game: last results and head to head
Both sides come into this with mixed form, as they both struggle in their respective leagues. Ipswich are unbeaten in two, including a win against high-flying Chelsea. Bristol Rovers also won their last game, against relegation rivals Cambridge United, though their record prior to that is extremely poor.
In terms of fixture history, it’s not pretty reading for Bristol Rovers. They’ve only won one of the last eight meetings between the teams, with Ipswich winning the last four FA Cup encounters. They’ve lost twelve of the last thirteen games against Ipswich, so will likely lose again on Sunday.
Where to watch Ipswich Town vs Bristol Rovers
This match isn’t being televised as part of the UK’s FA Cup coverage, but here’s where you can watch it in person.
- Location: Portman Road, Ipswich, UK, IP1 2DA
- Date and time: 3pm UK Time, Sunday 12th January 2025
Probable lineups for Ipswich Town vs Bristol Rovers
This game will likely see some rotation with Ipswich fighting for their lives in the Premier League, though they will still put out a pretty good side. Bristol Rovers may also rotate, but to a lesser extent. Here’s how we think they’ll line up.
Ipswich Town
Line up: C Walton, H Clarke, B Godfrey, L Woolfenden, C Townsend, J Taylor, S Morsy, N Broadhead, W Burns, A Al-Hamadi, S Szmodics
Injuries/suspensions: A Tuanzebe, C Ogbene, C Chaplin, G Hirst, O Hutchinson, M Luongo
Coach: Kieran McKenna
Bristol Rovers
Line up: J Griffiths, J Hunt, T Moore, C Taylor, L Sousa, J Lindsay, R Sawyers, S Forde, R Sotiriou, S Sinclair, P Omechere
Injuries/suspensions: None
Coach: Inigo Calderon
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Freelance journalist and host of The Real EFL Podcast, Rhys specialises in the Championship and League One. He joined after graduating in Journalism from the University of Lincoln in 2024.
