Reading look to continue their bid to reach the League One play-offs when they host Lincoln City at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
League One
Our Three Predictions For Reading vs Lincoln City
- First Prediction: Match Result – Draw – 9/4
- Second Prediction: Both Teams To Score – 18/25
- Third Prediction: Reading – Draw No Bet – 53/100
First Prediction For Reading vs Lincoln City – Match Result – Draw – 9/4
Reading only managed a 0-0 draw with Northampton Town in their last outing but remain in control of their play-off destiny. This was thanks to both Bolton Wanderers and Huddersfield Town losing, but Leyton Orient did close the gap to three points with a win over Crawley Town. With four games remaining, the Royals remain favourites to secure a top six finish, but they will need to record a positive result against Lincoln to ease the nerves. However, their recent record against the Imps isn’t great, having failed to beat them in their three meetings since dropping into League One in 2023. Two of those have ended in a draw and they were woeful in a 2-0 defeat at the LNER Stadium in December.
Michael Skubala’s team have one foot on the beach, with their 1-1 draw against Shrewsbury Town at the weekend mathematically ruling them out of a top six finish. They will still play a big role in the promotion hunt though, with all four of their remaining games coming against teams in the upper reaches of the table. Lincoln are tough to beat, with only Birmingham City and Wycombe Wanderers recording a victory over the East Midlands-based outfit in their last eight. Although they have nothing to play for, they will be keen to finish in the top half. A draw looks likely.
Second Prediction For Reading vs Lincoln City – Both Teams To Score – 18/25
Reading have only failed to score on two occasions at the Select Car Leasing Stadium since the turn of the year. The goalless draw against Northampton was a disappointment but they have otherwise been fairly good in front of goal. They also have one of the highest percentages in this market in the division, with 57% of their games seeing both teams score.
Lincoln are a tougher nut to crack, with only 50% of their fixtures to date achieving this market. Their last two games have finished 2-2 and 1-1 respectively, although they are the only two of their previous seven outings to hit this market. Reading do need to score though, and the Imps do pose an attacking threat in James Collins.
Third Prediction For Reading vs Lincoln City – Reading – Draw No Bet – 53/100
For those thinking that Reading may sneak it, this could be the bet for you. The Royals are over evens to win outright, so backing them to win with a draw no bet option would see your stake returned if the scores end level. Noel Hunt’s side have been good in front of their own supporters in recent weeks and boast the third best home record in the division behind champions Birmingham and automatic promotion chasing Wrexham. They’re also unbeaten in their last nine at the Select Car Leasing Stadium. Stockport County are the only team to record a victory in Berkshire in 2025, with that 3-1 win coming in January.
Lincoln’s away record also isn’t great. They haven’t won on the road since beating Mansfield Town in February, picking up just one point in their last four trips away from Sincil Bank.
Best Odds For Reading vs Lincoln City
| Bookmaker | Reading | Draw | Lincoln City |
| MyriadPlay | 23/20 | 9/4 | 19/10 |
| Gentleman Jim | 6/5 | 9/4 | 2/1 |
| Betarno | 23/20 | 11/5 | 19/10 |
Full Preview of the Game: Last Results and Head-To-Head
Reading kicked off the month with their first defeat since January when they went down 3-0 at Blackpool. They recovered immediately though to dent Wycombe Wanderers’ automatic promotion hopes with a 1-0 victory. An excellent 3-1 win over Shrewsbury Town followed, although the 0-0 draw with Northampton Town last weekend was a bit of a disappointment. Still, the Royals remain sixth, three points above seventh-placed Leyton Orient. However, the O’s possess a much better goal difference.
Lincoln have suffered from inconsistency all season. This saw them fall out of play-off contention in the early stages of this year. Michael Skubala has had to contend with injuries to a number of key players, but he has insisted that he is shaping his squad with an eye on next season. This has seen them record big wins over Crawley Town and Bristol Rovers in recent weeks, whilst also giving Charlton Athletic a scare at the Valley when they went two goals up before having to settle for a point. The Imps were disappointing against Shrewsbury Town at the weekend though. After taking an early lead through Tom Bayliss, they struggled to capitalise and the game eventually finished 1-1.
Lincoln won a one-sided encounter 2-0 at the LNER Stadium in December. However, Noel Hunt had just taken over from the recently departed Ruben Selles and was still finding his feet. Both of last season’s games ended in a draw in their first meetings this century. Reading last beat the Imps in 1998. This is a fixture that has seen more draws than anything else though. 11 of their previous 27 clashes have ended level, with Reading winning seven and Lincoln winning nine.
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Where To Watch Reading vs Lincoln City
Where can I watch this game, either in person or on TV?
- Location: Select Car Leasing Stadium, Junction 11, M4, Reading, RG2 0FL
- Date: April 18th, 2025
- TV Channel: This game is not scheduled for TV broadcast.
Probable Lineups For Reading vs Lincoln City
Predicted Reading Lineup
- Lineup: Pereira; Yiadom, Mbengue, Bindon, Abrefa; Knibbs, Wing, Savage; Ehibhatiomhan, Wareham, Campbell
- Injured/Suspended: Dorsett, Elliott, Akande
- Manager: Noel Hunt
Predicted Lincoln City Lineup
- Lineup: Wickens; Darikwa, Hamer, Jackson, Roughan; Erhahon, Bayliss; Ring, House, Gardner; Collins
- Injured/Suspended: O’Connor, Jefferies, Moylan, Makama, Cadamarteri
- Manager: Michael Skubala
