Cheltenham vs Bristol Rovers Prediction

Both sides in uneven form

Bristol Rovers arrive here on the back of a genuinely tough stretch, having lost their last four matches across competitions before this preview was put together. That run includes league defeats away at Shrewsbury and Crewe as well as a home loss to Barnet.

Cheltenham: 20 completed matches; Bristol Rovers: 20 completed matches.

Cheltenham

20 matches

Win

35% 7 / 20

Draw

25% 5 / 20

Loss

40% 8 / 20

Scored

31

Conceded

39

Difference

-8

Bristol Rovers

20 matches

Win

30% 6 / 20

Draw

20% 4 / 20

Loss

50% 10 / 20

Scored

26

Conceded

34

Difference

-8

Cheltenham haven't been much steadier. They did beat Fleetwood Town comfortably in their most recent outing, but that followed back-to-back-to-back defeats to Oldham, Salford and Accrington. Across the wider sample both clubs have lost more games than they've won.

Rovers' losing run is the longer and more recent of the two, which is worth keeping in mind.

Comparative Team Statistics: Cheltenham vs Bristol Rovers

A fixture history that swings around

These two have met plenty of times down the years across several divisions, and the results don't lean strongly one way. The most recent league meeting back in April ended in a heavy 4-0 win for Bristol Rovers, but Cheltenham won the reverse fixture the previous season.

Further back there are some big scorelines in both directions, including a 4-1 Rovers win and a couple of narrow Cheltenham victories. It's a long and varied history rather than a clear trend either side can lean on.

Level on points with little separating them

Cheltenham and Bristol Rovers sit next to each other in the table after eleven games each, locked on the same points total. Their goal difference is almost identical too, which tells you how tight things have been for both all season.

Rovers' record is built entirely from wins and losses with no draws at all in the league table, while Cheltenham have picked up a few more stalemates along the way. That's a small stylistic difference but it hasn't changed where either club sits.

Two sides this close on points rarely have a clear favourite going in.

A couple of players doing the heavy lifting

Cheltenham's goals have largely come from one man this season, with C. McCann well clear as their top scorer and A. Weimann chipping in with goals and assists alongside him. For Bristol Rovers, F. Cavegn is the standout attacking name in the sample provided.

Cheltenham:

Best scorers:

C. McCann - 7

A. Weimann - 4

J. Evans - 3

Best assist providers:

A. Weimann - 2

J. Evans - 2

R. Broom - 2

Penalty cards:

J. Tomkinson x 4

S. McWilliams x 4

Bristol Rovers:

Best scorers:

F. Cavegn - 3

Penalty cards:

T. Leigh x 1 x 2

K. Balmer x 3

On discipline, a few players on both sides are already picking up yellow cards at a steady rate, including Cheltenham's J. Tomkinson and S. McWilliams. None of this confirms who will or won't be involved on the day, but it does flag where each side's threat is concentrated.