Stevenage vs Plymouth Argyle Prediction, Betting Tips & Preview

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Stevenage

vs

Plymouth Argyle

KickoffTuesday 20 October 2026, 7:45pm

VenueLamex Stadium

CompetitionEnglish League 1

Four defeats from eleven league games for a side sitting fourth in League One. That is the nagging contradiction at the heart of Plymouth Argyle’s season so far, and it is the kind of statistic that keeps managers up at night. Tom Cleverley has his team playing well enough to threaten the top of the table, but that lack of consistency in results means Tuesday night at Broadhall Way feels like exactly the sort of fixture where things could unravel again.

Stevenage, meanwhile, are a side that came agonisingly close to the Championship last May and still have that promotion hunger running through them. They sit 12th right now, but six points off the playoffs after nine games is hardly a crisis. What is a concern is that they are the lowest scorers of any side in the top half. Defensively disciplined, offensively cautious. That sets this one up as a fascinating tactical battle under the floodlights.

Stevenage vs Plymouth Argyle Match Details

This League One fixture takes place at Broadhall Way in Hertfordshire, with the Boro hosting under the lights in what could be a pivotal midweek encounter near the top of the division. Plymouth arrive in Hertfordshire knowing that three points, combined with the right results elsewhere, could send them to the summit of League One.

Team News

Alex Revell has a forced change to make after the defeat at Bradford City, while Cleverley has a fuller squad to pick from but several longer term absentees still sidelined.

• Wanya Marcal came off injured against Bradford and is expected to miss this one
• 19 year old Ben Broggio is one of the options to fill that vacancy in the Stevenage setup
• Plymouth are without Julio Pleguezuelo, Joe Edwards, Malachi Boateng and attacker Owen Oseni through injury
• Cleverley could name an unchanged side from the weekend, though he may look to freshen things up after a difficult result at Home Park
• Aribim Pepple is expected to lead the Plymouth attack having already notched four league goals this season

Predicted Lineups

Revell looks set to shuffle his attacking options with Marcal out, and Broggio could get the nod on the left side of the attack. The defensive shape that has made Stevenage so hard to beat should remain largely unchanged, with Vancooten and Piergianni at the heart of the back four providing the platform everything else is built on.

Stevenage: Setford; James Wildin, Vancooten, Piergianni, Earley; Sanderson, Phillips, Smith, Broggio; Kemp; Magennis

Plymouth look likely to line up in a similar shape to the weekend, with Pepple given the task of leading the attack and Evans supplying from a wider position. The concern for Cleverley is that his side have now lost four times in eleven games, and the absence of Oseni takes away an attacking option he would have liked in a game like this.

Plymouth: Cooper; Harding, Mitchell, Hartridge, MacKenzie; Curtis, Ibrahim, White, Watts; Evans, Pepple

Recent Form

Stevenage go into this with three wins, three draws and three defeats from their opening nine League One matches. A 2-0 loss to Bradford City at the weekend was their third defeat of the campaign, and both goals came late in the game which will have stung. The underlying numbers though tell a more positive story defensively. Ten goals conceded in nine matches is a genuinely impressive return, and it mirrors the kind of rock solid backline that kept Stevenage competitive all the way through to the playoff semi finals last season. Alex Revell clearly knows how to organise a defence.

The problem is at the other end. Twelve goals scored is the lowest tally of any side currently sitting in the top half of the table, and that is where the alarm bells start ringing. You cannot keep grinding out 1-0 wins forever, and when those results dry up, there is no firepower to compensate. The Bradford defeat is a case in point. A tight game that slipped away in the closing stages, and Stevenage could not find a way back into it.

Plymouth have been more prolific going forward, and their six wins have helped them accumulate enough points to sit fourth. But those four defeats are a genuine problem, and losing at home to Huddersfield at the weekend will have knocked confidence going into a midweek away trip. Cleverley has a 50% win rate across his 70 games in charge, which is a solid foundation, but this squad needs to find a way to protect leads and stop giving points away.

Head-to-Head Record

Stevenage and Plymouth have not spent a huge amount of time in the same division historically, and fixtures between these two clubs are relatively rare. When they have met at Broadhall Way in recent years, tight games have tended to be the pattern, which fits perfectly with what both sides bring to the table right now. Stevenage defending deep and looking to hit on the counter, Plymouth with more quality in possession but vulnerable on the break.

There is nothing in the head to head record to suggest either side holds a significant psychological edge, and with both clubs arriving off the back of defeats, this has the feel of a game where neither manager will want to be the one who loses first.

Key Stats

• Stevenage have conceded just 10 goals in 9 League One games, one of the best defensive records in the division
• Plymouth have lost 4 of their 11 league games despite sitting fourth, more defeats than most sides around them
• Stevenage have scored only 12 league goals, the lowest tally of any team in the top half of the table

Stevenage vs Plymouth Argyle Betting Tips

This fixture has low scoring draw written all over it. Two defensively organised sides, both coming off defeats, neither with a clinical edge in front of goal right now. Revell will set his team up to be hard to beat first and foremost, and Plymouth will need to find some creativity without several of their attacking options. The markets that appeal most here are around goals and the result rather than an open, free flowing game.

Over and Under Goals Prediction

Under 2.5 goals looks the play here. Stevenage have one of the meanest defences in the division and Plymouth are missing attacking options through injury. Neither side has been a prolific scorer lately, and a tight, cautious contest feels far more likely than an open thriller. Back under 2.5 goals with confidence.

Corners Prediction

With Stevenage likely to sit deep and absorb pressure, Plymouth will be forced to go wide and deliver into the box to try to break them down. That should generate a decent number of corners for the visitors, and when Plymouth do push men forward, Stevenage can be dangerous on the counter which could lead to corners at the other end as Plymouth scramble back. Over 8.5 corners feels achievable in a game where one side is doing most of the attacking.

Both Teams To Score (BTTS) Prediction

This is a close call, but BTTS No edges it for me. Stevenage are genuinely difficult to score against, and Plymouth are without several key attacking players. Revell’s side have been stingy at the back all season, and while Plymouth have enough quality to create chances, converting them against this defence without Oseni and with limited options off the bench is a different matter entirely. One nil or a scrappy one all feels most likely, but a clean sheet for the Boro is a real possibility.

First Goalscorer Prediction

Aribim Pepple is the obvious candidate for Plymouth. He is leading the line, he has four goals already this season, and as Plymouth’s main outlet he will get the most sight of goal. If Plymouth are going to score, the ball is going to go through him. He is a reasonable price to open the scoring and worth including in any first goalscorer markets.

Cards Prediction

A tight, competitive League One fixture under the lights, with two sides who both carry a physical edge, tends to produce bookings. Stevenage’s midfield will be working hard to break up Plymouth’s rhythm, and Plymouth’s players will be frustrated if they spend long periods unable to break through. Over 3.5 cards is a reasonable market to look at in a game where the stakes are high and the aggression levels will match that.

Bet Builder Tip

A draw with under 2.5 goals and Pepple on the scoresheet covers the most likely scenario in a tight 1-1 contest where Plymouth’s main man nicks a goal but Stevenage’s defence does enough to keep it level.

Final Match Prediction

Both of these clubs spent last season pushing for promotion and both carry genuine ambitions of making the top six this time around. But Tuesday night feels like a game that neither side will want to lose more than they want to win, and that mentality tends to produce a certain kind of result. Stevenage will be organised and difficult to break down. Plymouth have the quality to cause problems but are missing key players and have looked vulnerable in recent weeks.

A 1-1 draw feels like the most honest assessment of where both clubs are right now. Plymouth will be frustrated that they could not take three points and push to the top of the table, and Revell will take a share of the spoils as a reasonable return given the quality of the opposition. Prediction: Stevenage 1-1 Plymouth Argyle.

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