Grimsby Town v Carlisle United Odds and Match Preview

Grimsby Town entertain League Two strugglers Carlisle United at Blundell Park on Saturday afternoon and as such, now is an excellent time to register with any of our featured UK betting sites where you can benefit from the best Grimsby Town versus Carlisle United odds and League Two free bets.

Grimsby Town v Carlisle United Odds and Match Preview

Kick-off: 3pm UK Time, Saturday 8th February 2025

With Mark Hughes having been appointed as new manager earlier today, Carlisle United will be hoping that the ‘new manager bounce’ can help them claim their sixth league win of the campaign when they head to Grimsby Town on Saturday afternoon.

Mark Hughes

With Mike Williamson having been sacked at the start of the week, Carlisle United have wasted no time in appointing a successor. Indeed, ahead of the side’s trip to Blundell Park this weekend, the club have announced that former Manchester City, Southampton and Bradford City boss Mark Hughes will be the man in the dugout for the Cumbrians. Whether this will bring immediate results remains to be seen but with the side sitting firmly at the foot of the table, having been thrashed 5-1 at home to Swindon Town in their last outing, it really was time for Mike Williamson to go.

Time fast running out

As things stand, the Cumbrians sit two points adrift at the foot of the fourth tier and time is fast running out as they battle against relegation to the National League. Nevertheless, there’s still much of the season left to play and the fans will be eager to learn just how Mark Hughes plans to lift his new charges out of the mire.

New manager bounce

As for Grimsby Town, they are looking to haul themselves closer to the play-off berths and while victory over the visitors wouldn’t be enough to lift them into the top seven in the league standings this weekend, it certainly wouldn’t do their cause any harm whatsoever. Unsurprisingly, Grimsby are favourites to secure all three points here but there’s also a danger that Carlisle may experience a new manager bounce and as such, we’re wary of backing the Mariners in this one, despite the fact that they have won each of their last four at this venue.

Recent Form:

• Grimsby Town: The Mariners recently secured a 2-0 victory against Bromley, ending a five-game winless streak. This win keeps them within six points of the playoff positions. Notably, Grimsby has been unbeaten in their last four home games, though they’ve conceded 23 goals in 14 home matches, marking the second-worst defensive record at home in the division.
• Carlisle United: Currently at the bottom of the League Two table, Carlisle have undergone a managerial change, appointing Mark Hughes as their new manager. The Cumbrians have struggled badly on their travels, scoring just 11 goals in 14 away games and securing 12 points from those fixtures. Their recent 5-1 defeat to Swindon Town last time out led to the departure of former manager Mike Williamson. 

Team News:

• Grimsby Town: Defender Lewis Cass will be unavailable due to suspension following a red card in the previous match. Recent signing Geza David Turi from Vikingur may be included in the squad. Manager David Artell might continue with the 5-3-2 formation that proved effective against Bromley.
• Carlisle United: Midfielder Jordan Jones is suspended after receiving two yellow cards against Swindon. With the recent managerial change, the starting lineup remains uncertain, but Cameron Harper could feature at left wing-back.

Grimsby Town have the second worst defensive record outside the bottom four in League Two this term with 45 goals leaked in their 29 league outings, 23 of these coming at Blundell Park. As such, we envisage Carlisle United adding to the scoreline here in what has the makings of a high-scoring affair.

Back Over 3.5 Goals at best odds of 5/2