It’s the first Devon Derby of the season as Exeter City welcome archrivals Plymouth Argyle to St. James Park on Thursday night.
League One
Our Three Predictions For Exeter City vs Plymouth Argyle
- Prediction 1 – Lorent Tolaj To Score – 2/1
- Prediction 2 – Over 2.5 Goals Scored – 11/14
- Prediction 3 – Plymouth Argyle To Win – 11/8
First Prediction For Exeter City vs Plymouth Argyle – Lorent Tolaj To Score – 2/1
The Swiss forward looks on it right now and with 4 goals in his last 3 games is making the most of his start to life at Plymouth Argyle. Tolaj has 7 goals in his first 10 Pilgrims games and 8 for the season with his first goal coming for Port Vale. Only Bolton Wanderers‘ Mason Burstow has more goals so far this campaign and Tolaj stands out in many statistics, sitting joint-3rd for shots taken this season and joint-3rd for shots on target. Having scored in their loss to AFC Wimbledon last time out, Tolaj could do the same to a team placed much lower down the division.
Second Prediction For Exeter City vs Plymouth Argyle – Over 2.5 Goals Scored – 11/14
As last season showed, Exeter’s defence can be sloppy at times, but so far, the Grecians have done well at limiting the number of goals they let in. They stand with 14 goals conceded so far this season, 6 more than they had let in at this stage last season. City have just 1 clean sheet in their last 8 games, all but one of those ending with a one-goal margin. But they face a very fearsome foe in Plymouth, who have been free scoring with 12 goals in their last 5 matches. Argyle, however, have been poor defensively, particularly at the start of the season which could give some hope to players like Josh Magennis.
Third Prediction For Exeter City vs Plymouth Argyle – Plymouth Argyle To Win – 11/8
Tom Cleverley is still yet to right the ship after a poor start to the season which led to inquests and finger-pointing throughout the fanbase. Now with the chance to get a statement victory against their biggest rivals in Exeter, the Pilgrims should be able to handily beat an Exeter side which have struggled for most of the campaign. Their 8 losses are the joint-most of any side in the third tier so far this season, and have struggled for goals with just 5 sides beneath them in terms of finding the net. Argyle have enjoyed their last two games against City and will hope to add a happy memory to an otherwise dire campaign.
Best Odds For Exeter City vs Plymouth Argyle
| Bookmaker | Exeter City | Draw | Plymouth Argyle |
| 7bet Sports | 13/7 | 12/5 | 9/7 |
| Bet442 Sport | 7/4 | 12/5 | 13/10 |
| NRGBet Sports | 7/4 | 23/10 | 11/8 |
Full Preview Of The Game: Last Results And Head-To-Head
Exeter City have not had a good start to this season compared to the last, and head into Thursday night in 20th place, level on points with the team below them in the relegation zone. The Grecians have lost a joint-worst 8 games so far this campaign, but with 4 wins and a draw to their name, only Luton Town have won more games than them in the bottom half. After 4 points in their previous 2 games, Exeter were once again bested by another team, this time Stockport County by a narrow 1-0 scoreline in a fairly even match. City remain unscathed from that trip to Edgeley Park, but will be without 5 players.
Plymouth Argyle are that team level on points with Exeter in the relegation zone, and are yet to live up to their pre-season expectations. Tom Cleverley’s side have a game in hand on the Grecians following a game postponement earlier this month against Mansfield Town, with the rearranged fixture coming on Tuesday. It was another loss for Argyle at the weekend, being beaten at home by AFC Wimbledon despite an early Lorent Tolaj goal. The Swiss forward has been the highlight of an otherwise drab campaign, with 7 goals in his first 10 Argyle games. Tom Cleverley will also be without 4 squad players.
Now heading towards its’ 94th competitive fixture, the Devon derby has comfortably been dominated by Argyle, who have 38 wins to Exeter’s 29. This is the first time in 2 years that this game has been played, with Plymouth winning both fixtures on their way to the League One title. It was Matt Butcher who made the difference at St. James Park that season, his 70th-minute goal putting Argyle firmly on the path to silverware with 4 fixtures left in the season.
Confrontation
Where To Watch Exeter City vs Plymouth Argyle?
Where can I watch the game, either on TV or in person?
- Location: St. James Park, Exeter, Devon, EX4 6PX
- Date: October 23rd, 2025
This game is available to watch in the UK, on Sky Sports Football, Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports+, with kick-off at 8 pm.
Probable Lineups For Exeter City vs Plymouth Argyle
What sort of lineup can we expect from this important EFL League One clash?
Predicted Exeter City Lineup
- Lineup: Whitworth; Sweeney, Fitzwater, Turns; Niskanen, McMillan, Brierley, Andrew; Cole; Magennis, Wareham
- Injured/Suspended: Cox, Mendes Gomes, Swinkels, Rydel, Doyle-Hayes
- Manager: Gary Caldwell
Predicted Plymouth Argyle Lineup
- Lineup: Hazard; Mitchell, Sarpong-Wiredu, Ross; Edwards, McCabe, Boateng, Mumba; Ibrahim, Oseni; Tolaj
- Injured/Suspended: Watts, Amaechi, Pleguezuelo, Mackenzie
- Manager: Tom Cleverley
