Lincoln City welcome Cardiff City to the LNER Stadium on Saturday in this top of the table League One clash.
Our Three Predictions For Lincoln City vs Cardiff City
- First Prediction:Â Lincoln City To Win – 6/4
- Second Prediction:Â Both Teams To Score – 8/11
- Third Prediction:Â Over 2.5 Goals – 10/11
First Prediction For Lincoln City vs Cardiff City – Lincoln City To Win – 6/4
Lincoln face arguably their sternest test of the season so far, which is likely to show us whether they are to be taken seriously in the promotion conversation. The Imps currently sit third in League One, 6 points behind leaders Cardiff.
The Imps have been formidable at the LNER Stadium, with 7 wins from 10 games. This includes victories in each of their last 4 in front of their own supporters.
The most impressive of those came earlier this month when they triumphed 3-1 over Barnsley. However, the final result arguably flattered the visitors.
Meanwhile, Cardiff have taken advantage of the tight nature of the division in recent weeks. Five successive league wins has seen them move to the top of the table, with a 4 point gap over second-placed Bradford City.
The Bluebirds threw everything at World Champions Chelsea on Tuesday night in the Carabao Cup before eventually losing 3-1. It will be interesting to see how much that contest took out of their players in what could be one of their toughest games since dropping into the third tier in May.Â
Second Prediction For Lincoln City vs Cardiff City – Both Teams To Score – 8/11
Lincoln rank amongst the division’s lowest when it comes to games where both teams score, with just 45% of their fixtures achieving this feat. However, this does rise to 60% at the LNER Staadium.
Two of the Imps’ last 3 home games have seen them both score and concede, which includes 2-1 and 3-1 wins over Doncaster Rovers and Barnsley respectively. Adding in away games, this rises to 4 out of their last 5.
Cardiff don’t fare much better here, with 47% hitting this marker. However, only Bolton Wanderers have stopped them scoring since September. Meanwhile, only Exeter City have left Sincil Bank with a clean sheet.
Third Prediction For Lincoln City vs Cardiff City – Over 2.5 Goals – 10/11
Just like the last prediction, Lincoln rank low in games which have featured 3 or more goals. Just 45% of their outings have hit that figure, although again, this increases to 50% at home.
The Imps have increased in entertainment value in recent weeks. Five of their last 6 have been high scoring affairs and just a 1-0 win over Port Vale is the only time they’ve fallen short here since the end of October.
Cardiff have enjoyed much more success in this market, with 11 of their 19 games going over the 2.5 goal line. Like their opponents, this includes 5 of their last 6, although a narrow win at Stevenage earlier this month shows they can grind out results on the road.
Still, Lincoln’s home form means that any winner is likely going to need to score twice.
Best Odds For Lincoln City vs Cardiff City
| Bookmaker | Lincoln City | Draw | Cardiff City |
| NRGBet Sports | 6/4 | 21/10 | 17/10 |
| Bet442 Sport | 3/2 | 11/5 | 17/10 |
| 7bet Sports | 6/4 | 21/10 | 12/7 |
Full Preview Of The Game: Last Results And Head-To-Head:
It’s a battle between first and third which could have major implications on the League One promotion race. A Lincoln win could see them move into the automatic promotion places in time for Christmas, having briefly topped the table last month.
They enter this game in a run of decent form. A poor October has been replaced by wins over the likes of Doncaster Rovers (2-1), Port Vale (1-0) and Barnsley (3-1), although they did give up a 2-goal lead last weekend to draw 2-2 with Blackpool.
Cardiff have hit their stride and will top the table entering the festive period regardless of what happens tomorrow. Five straight league wins has seen them open up a 4 point gap, with their last defeat coming at Blackpool (3-1) prior to the last international break.
Since then, the Bluebirds have picked up maximum points hauls against Northampton Town (3-1), Mansfield Town (3-1), Huddersfield Town (3-2), Stevenage (1-0) and Doncaster Rovers (4-3). That last victory showed their grit when Joel Bagen grabbed a 99th minute winner.
This is the first meeting between the pair since 2001, when both clubs were operating in Division 3 (now League Two). Lincoln were the victors that day, picking up a 2-0 win.
Although Cardiff won the return fixture earlier in the campaign, that is their only triumph over the Imps in their last 7 clashes. Overall, though, they do edge the head-to-head record, winning 12 of the previous 28 meetings. Lincoln have 11 victories, whilst they have played out 5 draws, the last of which was in 1996.
20/12/2025
League One
League One
Lincoln Cardiff 2 1 04/01/2026
League One
League One
Lincoln Peterborough 5 2 W 01/01/2026
League One
League One
Lincoln Huddersfield 1 1 D 29/12/2025
League One
League One
Barnsley Lincoln 0 2 W 26/12/2025
League One
League One
Stockport County Lincoln 1 2 W 20/12/2025
League One
League One
Lincoln Cardiff 2 1 W 10/01/2026
League One
League One
Leyton Orient Cardiff 1 1 D 04/01/2026
League One
League One
Cardiff Wigan 1 0 W 01/01/2026
League One
League One
Wycombe Cardiff 1 1 D 29/12/2025
League One
League One
Cardiff Stevenage 2 1 W 26/12/2025
League One
League One
Cardiff Exeter 1 0 WConfrontation
Last Results - Lincoln
Last Results - Cardiff
Where To Watch Lincoln City vs Cardiff City
Where can I watch this game, either in person or on TV?
- Location:Â The LNER Stadium, Sincil Bank, Lincoln, LN5 8LD
- Date: December 20th, 2025
- TV Channel:Â This game is not scheduled for TV broadcast.
Probable Lineups For Lincoln City vs Cardiff City
Predicted Lincoln City Lineup
- Lineup:Â Wickens; Darikwa, Hamer, Bradley, Reach; McGrandles, Bayliss; Hackett, Moylan, Street; Obikwu
- Injured/Suspended:Â Collins
- Manager: Michael Skubala
Predicted Cardiff City Lineup
- Lineup:Â Trott; Kpakio, Fish, Chambers, Bagan; Wintle; Ashford, J. Colwill, Kellyman, Robinson; Salech
- Injured/Suspended:Â Tanner, Osho, R.Colwill
- Manager: Brian Barry-Murphy
