Notts County vs Grimsby Town Prediction, Betting Tips & Preview

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Notts County

vs

Grimsby Town

KickoffTuesday 22 September 2026, 7:00pm

VenueBlundell Park

CompetitionEFL Trophy

Notts County are in a rough patch right now, and the last thing a side sitting one point above the League One relegation zone needs is another opportunity to drop points. But the EFL Trophy has a habit of throwing up awkward fixtures at awkward times, and a Grimsby Town side quietly building something in League Two could be just the kind of opposition to capitalise on a rotated County eleven. So the real question here is simple: does this tie offer a chance for the Magpies to find some confidence, or does it hand Grimsby a free swing at three points against a weakened host?

This preview digs into the form, the likely lineups, the head to head record and where the value lies in the betting markets for what should be a fascinating lower league cup clash at Meadow Lane.

Notts County vs Grimsby Town Match Details

This EFL Trophy group stage fixture takes place at Meadow Lane in Nottingham, with League One side Notts County hosting League Two’s Grimsby Town. Both clubs are entering from separate divisions of the English Football League pyramid, meaning this is a cross division group game of the kind the EFL Trophy regularly produces. Neither side finished their group stage campaign with much to shout about last season, so there is genuine motivation to do better this time around, even if squad rotation is likely to be a factor for both managers.

Team News

Both gaffers are expected to make wholesale changes here, which makes predicting the exact squads tricky, but there are some strong hints about who will get minutes.

• Notts County are set to shuffle heavily given their League One struggles are the priority. Regular starters Callum Roberts and Lee Ndlovu are likely to be rested.
• Rodney McDonald, Matty Platt and Luke Browne are expected to form a back three for the Magpies.
• Matthew Palmer, Max Sanders and youngster Kameron Muir could line up together in midfield, giving Paterson a chance to hand some fringe players meaningful minutes.
• Emile Acquah and Daniel Kanu are likely to lead the attack in the absence of the first choice forwards.
• Grimsby will also rotate, but David Artell has a squad capable of absorbing those changes without falling apart.
• Geza David Turi, Jamie Walker and Kieran Green are among those pushing for inclusion in the Grimsby midfield.
• Andy Cook is expected to lead the line, with Justin Amaluzor and Charles Vernam providing width.

Predicted Lineups

Notts County look set to line up in a back three formation, with Belshaw in goal behind McDonald, Platt and Browne. Tsaroulla and Lipsiuc are likely to provide the width from wing back positions, while Palmer, Sanders and Muir sit in the engine room. Acquah and Kanu are the expected forward options, though neither has had a huge amount of first team action yet this season so this is a real opportunity for both of them.

Grimsby will rotate but maintain some structure. Pym starts in goal with a back four of Rodgers, Kacurri, McJannett and Sweeney. Walker, Turi and Green form the midfield trio, while Amaluzor and Vernam operate either side of Cook up top. Artell knows what he wants from his side even when the personnel changes, and the system should remain recognisable.

Recent Form

Notts County’s form is a genuine concern. Martin Paterson’s side have won just once in eight outings this season across all competitions, and that solitary victory tells its own story. The 2-0 defeat to Reading at the weekend left them 20th in League One with seven points from seven games, hovering one point and one place above the drop zone. Their last four fixtures have returned two draws and two losses, with no wins to speak of. Whatever the competition, that kind of run erodes confidence and it is hard to imagine the fringe players coming into this lineup carrying much momentum.

Meadow Lane has not exactly been the fortress County would have hoped for either. One win from three home games, with three goals scored and three conceded, suggests there are vulnerabilities at the back that an organised Grimsby side might be able to exploit. The supporters will want to see a reaction of some kind after recent results, but with a heavily rotated eleven, that is a big ask.

Grimsby, by contrast, are in a completely different headspace right now. Their 2-0 win over Crawley Town on Saturday lifted them to third in League Two with 13 points, and the mood around the club feels positive. Artell has suffered just one defeat all season, that being an EFL Cup exit to Blackpool in August, and since then his side have won three and drawn four. The away form shows a consistent pattern too: three draws from three road trips, with four goals scored and four conceded. Grimsby are not blowing teams away, but they are grinding out results and making themselves hard to beat.

Head-to-Head Record

The head to head record here gives Grimsby supporters genuine cause for optimism. A win for the Mariners in this one would be their second on the bounce against Notts County, though it is worth noting that they have lost three of their last five meetings with the Magpies, so it is not a completely one sided picture. History suggests these two are fairly evenly matched over recent encounters, but current form points firmly in Grimsby’s favour when you strip away the historical records and look at what is actually happening on the pitch in 2026.

Key Stats

• Notts County have won just one of their eight matches in the 2026 to 27 season across all competitions.
• Grimsby are unbeaten in seven consecutive fixtures since their opening day EFL Cup loss to Blackpool.
• All three of Grimsby’s away games this season have ended level, with the aggregate score standing at 4-4 across those three matches.

Notts County vs Grimsby Town Betting Tips

Given the heavy rotation expected from both sides, the temptation is to dismiss this as a game that is impossible to call. But the underlying evidence actually points in a fairly clear direction. County are struggling, Grimsby are not, and even a rotated Mariners side has enough quality and organisation to take advantage of a nervy home eleven that has barely tasted victory this season. The betting angles reflect that logic throughout.

Both Teams To Score (BTTS) Prediction

Yes, lean towards both teams finding the net here. Notts County have scored in most of their home games and Grimsby’s away fixtures have all produced goals at both ends this season, with a combined 4-4 aggregate across three road trips. Rotated lineups tend to be leakier defensively, so backing both sides to score makes sense.

Over and Under Goals Prediction

Over 2.5 goals looks like a reasonable shout. The evidence from Grimsby’s away games this term points toward open, back and forth affairs rather than tight defensive slogs, and Notts County’s home record has seen plenty of action at both ends too. With fringe players and younger options on show, defensive shape may not be the strongest feature of either lineup.

Cards Prediction

Over 2.5 cards is worth a look. EFL Trophy fixtures can carry a competitive edge that catches people off guard, and with players on the fringes of squads desperate to impress their managers, there is often a sharpness and physical intensity that produces bookings. Neither side are shrinking violets when it comes to their disciplinary records in the lower leagues.

Correct Score Prediction

A narrow 1-0 Grimsby win is the call here. The Mariners have the momentum, the organisation and the motivation to take this seriously even with rotation, while Notts County look too low on confidence to impose themselves even at home. A tight, scrappy win for the visitors feels about right.

Bet Builder Tip

Grimsby’s unbeaten run, combined with the goal at both ends trend in their away games and the typical intensity of a cup fixture between lower league rivals, makes these three selections a logical combination in a single bet builder.

Final Match Prediction

Notts County head into this in poor shape, with a rotated lineup and a squad that is clearly lacking confidence right now. Grimsby arrive with genuine momentum, a settled system and players who know what Artell wants from them even when the personnel shifts around. The Mariners have been difficult to beat all season and this fixture, despite the cup context and the expected changes, looks set up nicely for them to take something from Meadow Lane.

The prediction is a 1-0 Grimsby Town win, with Andy Cook or one of the wide men nicking a goal against a County side that simply does not have enough going forward right now to trouble a well organised visiting back line. Grimsby edge it, County’s troubles continue, and the EFL Trophy serves up another quietly entertaining lower league cup night.

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