On the opening matchday of a fresh League Two campaign, Grimsby Town will host Crawley Town as the latter return to the fourth tier following a disappointing relegation.
League Two
Our Three Predictions For Grimsby Town vs Crawley Town
- First Prediction: Grimsby Town to win 9/10
- Second Prediction: Both teams to score – No 6/5
- Third Prediction: Grimsby Town over 1.5 goals 3/4
First Prediction for Grimsby Town vs Crawley Town – Grimsby Town to win
Home advantage will play a huge part in this fixture, with both sides massively reforming their squads prior to this opening day encounter. However, Crawley have lost far too many assets this summer with notable departures including: Panutche Camara, Rushian Hepburn-Murphy, Liam Fraser, Armando Quitirna and Will Swan all leaving the club in favour of a quality step-up.
Grimsby have been some key players prized away from them too, however their coverage of outgoings has been more seamless than their opponents’. Christy Pym and Jamie Walker will revitalise the dressing room, with younger talents like Zak Gilsenan and Jayden Sweeney adding higher-division experience – pointing to a strong start at home for Grimsby.
Second Prediction for Grimsby Town vs Crawley Town – Both teams to score: No
Crawley have added some promising attacking talent to their side, but it may take a while for them to start firing in goals. Kabongo Tshimanga is being marked as the clear talisman in the new-look Town side, with 11 goals in 39 matches for Swindon Town last season. Louie Flower has also made a switch to the Mariners, but an injury-plagued stint at Gateshead after impressive youth performances with Brighton and Hove Albion may delay the striker’s goalscoring form.
Despite the important addition of Tshimanga, Crawley will likely struggle to replace the goals scored by Swan, Quitirna an Hepburn-Murphy last season and, on the opening day, face a League One-level goalkeeper in Pym. The 30-year-old signed from Mansfield Town this summer and kept six clean sheets in a poor Stags lineup. Despite poor performances and heavy losses towards the end of the season, Grimsby could rely on their decent defence and new shot-stopper to come away with a clean sheet here.
Third Prediction for Grimsby Town vs Crawley Town: Grimsby over 1.5 goals 3/4
Town will likely score a couple if they are really on it. With home advantage, Grimsby have a promising attack and could cause an underrated threat to a disjointed, demotivated Crawley side.
On the topic of ‘talismen’ for their sides, Danny Rose has scored 15 goals in all competitions for the Mariners since his arrival two years ago. If the 31-year-old can revisit his form from the end of January to March, then a goal could be expected against Crawley. Towards the end of last season, Rose scored twice in a 2-2 draw against eventually-promoted Port Vale, highlighting his often ‘fixtureproof’ nature.
With two new-look teams set to face each other this early on, consistent performers will be relied upon to edge a win. Jason Dadi Svanthorsson will also be looking to match his goalscoring form with Breidablik after notching five goals in a first EFL season with Grimsby.
Best Odds for Grimsby Town vs Crawley Town
| Bookmaker | Grimsby Town | Draw | Crawley Town |
| MyriadPlay | 9/10 | 5/2 | 11/5 |
| Gentleman Jim | 19/20 | 13/5 | 9/4 |
| Betarno | 23/25 | 5/2 | 85/40 |
Full Preview of the Game – Last Results and Head-To-Head
Crawley Town finished their League One campaign with a disappointing relegation, which came down to the final matchday. A late flurry of wins – against Exeter City, Northampton Town and Shrewsbury Town successively – weren’t enough to avoid the drop. Crawley have lost both pre-season friendlies against Hearts and Crystal Palace, but gave a decent enough display considering the strength in opposition.
Grimsby finished two points off a play-off place last season and will be looking to better that result this campaign. The Mariners impressively wrapped up a short pre-season with a 3-2 win over League One side, Peterborough United.
In terms of head-to-head meetings, Crawley have won the last two games, doing the double over the Mariners in the 2023/24 League Two season. That took the total of the past 16 games to five wins for Grimsby, five draws and six victories for the upcoming fixture’s away side.
Confrontation
Where to watch Grimsby Town vs Crawley Town
Where can I watch this League Two match, either on TV or in person?
- Location: Blundell Park, Grimsby
- Date: Saturday 2nd August 2025
- Channel: SkySports+
Probable Lineups for Grimsby Town vs Crawley Town
What sort of lineups can we expect for this opening League Two clash?
Predicted Grimsby Town Lineup:
- Lineup: C. Pym, J. Sweeney, H. Rodgers, D. Tharme C. McJannet, K. Green, G. McEachran, E. Khouri, J. Kabia, J. Svanthorsson, D. Rose
- Coach: David Artell
Predicted Crawley Town Lineup:
- Lineup: H. Davies, D. Conroy, C. Barker, J. Flint, J. Williams, K. Scott, R. Brown, J. Roles, H. Forster, G. Holohan, K. Tshimanga
- Coach: Scott Lindsey
