League 2 Predictions Boxing Day – Friday 26th December 2025

Bring on the turkey sandwiches and bring on too a full fixture schedule for the fourth tier that has something for everyone.

At the bottom, Bristol Rovers and Harrogate both face severe opposition, unfancied in the football betting and in need of a Christmas miracle.

At the summit meanwhile, fifth plays second in a potentially blockbuster clash that could dramatically alter the odds in the League Two betting.

Accrington Stanley v Barrow

• Kick-Off: 15:00
• Rankings: 17th vs 19th

Stanley preview: For the fifth time in six league outings Stanley’s shot-count was in the single digits at Cambridge and their bluntness in attack is becoming an issue.

Overall this term they boast a respectable home record – accruing 1.5ppg at the Crown Ground – so they have the beating of Barrow here. Just don’t expect anything comprehensive.

Barrow preview: Winless in eight and still managerless after the departure of Andy Whing, the Bluebirds no longer seem capable of pulling off impressive away wins, as they did earlier in the campaign. Frankly, they’re in the doldrums.

Score prediction: 1-0.

Bristol Rovers v Bromley

• Kick-Off:15:00
• Rankings: 22nd vs 3rd

Rovers preview: A first-half dismissal for Crewe certainly helped the Pirates’ cause last weekend but a draw is still something to be celebrated and ends a historic ten-game losing streak.

Steve Evans’ first game in charge saw this new team put in a gritty display where the emphasis – naturally – was on defensive solidity.

Bromley preview: Few to no-one expected the Ravens to fly so high this season but who’s to say, given their lofty league standing and current form, they can’t be top going into 2026?

Andy Woodman’s men have only failed to get on the scoresheet three times to date while five clean sheets in their last 10 has contributed to their remarkable rise.

Score prediction: 0-2.

Cheltenham Town v Shrewsbury Town

• Kick-Off: 15:00
• Rankings: 18th vs 20th

Cheltenham preview: The Robins showed a tremendous amount of resilience to dig out a result at Barrow last week, three precious points that saw them pull away from the danger-zone.

Late goals is a trend to note, the hosts converting 11 of their last 14 in the second period.

Shrewsbury preview: The Shrews are winless in five but there is no cause for panic, even if their lowly league status says otherwise.

Michael Appleton’s side had the better of it against Chesterfield last weekend, unfortunate to succumb to a 0-1 loss, while previous draws vs Gillingham, Grimsby and leaders Walsall show they’re on the right path.

A meagre 5.7% chance conversion rate remains a concern, however.

Score prediction: 2-1.

Chesterfield v Notts County

• Kick-Off: 15:00
• Rankings: 7th vs 4th

Chesterfield preview: Victories over Barnet and Shrewsbury have reinstalled the Spirites in the Play-Off spots and though a recent propensity to draw games has proven costly, the fact remains that Paul Cook’s men have lost only once in their last 10 fixtures.

They will give the Magpies a tough examination this Boxing Day.

County preview: County’s top-of-the-table clash with Walsall last week proved to be a scrappy affair, neither side allowed to show their true quality.

It’s a point manager Martin Paterson would have begrudgingly taken prior to kick-off, extending on a fine run that has reaped 2.1ppg since the start of October.

Score prediction: 1-2.

Crawley Town v Colchester United

• Kick-Off: 15:00
• Rankings: 21st vs 11th

Crawley preview: The Red Devils made life extremely difficult for Swindon last weekend, the promotion-chasers requiring a penalty to prevail. Against a side significantly their superior, Crawley were competitive, feisty even.

More of that is needed from a side that has completed the fewest number of tackles in the fourth tier.

Colchester preview: A goalless affair at home to Gillingham aside, Colchester have been in the goals of late, putting four past Newport last week, and converting three at Salford. There is also recent back-to-back wins at Walsall and Notts County to account for.

Midfielder Harry Anderson is their man to watch, with seven goal involvements in his last eight starts.

Score prediction: 1-3.

Gillingham v Cambridge United

• Kick-Off: 15:00
• Rankings: 12th vs 8th

Gillingham preview: A plethora of draws doesn’t hide the fact that the Gills are in trouble, registering just one win in 12 and that a cagey bettering of an abysmal Bristol Rovers.

A fantastic start to their campaign saw them tipped by some as title challengers. Now there is a rot to be stopped.

Cambridge preview: Unbeaten in 11 across all comps, Cambridge have firmly established themselves as play-off contenders and their momentum alone should see them leave Kent with all three points.

Their last four Boxing Day fixtures have all ended 2-1, either for or against.

Score prediction: 1-2.

Grimsby Town v Oldham Athletic

• Kick-Off: 15:00
• Rankings: 15th vs 14th

Grimsby preview: The Mariners are winless in eight, a recent spate of wastefulness in front of goal sending them spiralling down the table.

At the back meanwhile, they have conceded 1.8 goals per 90 since late-October. That starkly contrasts to 1.1 goals per 90 in their games prior.

Oldham preview: The clean sheets may have dried up for the Latics but a reinvigorating win over Tranmere last weekend has put them back on track. Micky Mellon’s hat-trick was his second of the season.

Oldham were bright from the off last time out and they need to build on that. Only two of their 21 league strikes have been converted inside the opening half an hour.

Score prediction: 1-1.

Milton Keynes Dons v Swindon Town

• Kick-Off: 15:00
• Rankings: 5th vs 2nd

MK Dons preview: The Dons last failed to score way back in August and their firepower will no doubt pose a serious threat once again. No team has been more clinical in front of goal, Callum Paterson and co boasting a notable 12.2% chance conversion rate.

This should be weighed against a poor return when facing fellow promotion contenders this term: played five, won one.

Swindon preview: Victories over Bristol Rovers and Crawley – both to nil – has consigned their recent home loss to Cheltenham to the past and Swindon go into this joint-top and in good shape.

In five of their last seven outings they have registered 5+ shots on target while Ollie Palmer and Aaron Drinan is a partnership that can trouble any defence.

Score prediction: 2-3.

Newport County v Barnet

• Kick-Off: 15:00
• Ranking: 24th vs 13th

Newport preview: The Exiles have tried changing their manager and that hasn’t worked. They have tweaked their personnel from an admittedly slender squad and that hasn’t worked. Now all the talk centres on a crucial January rebuild as they seek to preserve their league status.

Until then, there is the rest of 2025 to compete for and there is little reason to believe we’ll see a different Newport to the one that was thoroughly outclassed at Colchester last Saturday.

Barnet preview: The Bees were well beaten at home to Salford last week, just like they were well beaten at Chesterfield seven days earlier. The back-to-back 3-1 reverses would have been worse if not for Cieran Slicker in nets.

An impressive away record still stands though, and remains relevant. Dean Brennan’s side have lost only twice on the road all season.

Score prediction: 0-2.

Salford City v Harrogate Town

• Kick-Off: 15:00
• Rankings: 6th vs 23rd

Salford preview: Salford’s last two home fixtures ended 4-3 and given the severe limitations of this Friday’s opponent it’s really only the first digit that is of interest here.

Pertinently, they have shared their recent goal-hauls around well, with nine different players finding the back of the net in recent weeks to contribute to their upsurge in form.

Harrogate preview: The sorry Sulphurites have picked up a meagre three points from the last 30 up for grabs and a distinct lack of threat in the final third is hurting them hard.

Since late October, Simon Weaver’s strugglers have converted every 240 minutes.

Score prediction: 3-0.

Tranmere Rovers v Fleetwood Town

• Kick-Off: 15:00
• Rankings: 16th vs 9th

Tranmere preview: It was all going relatively well for Rovers until they were derailed by Crewe and lost to the Latics. Seven goals conceded in those games means that only the bottom four have been breached more in 2025/26.

Fleetwood preview: Granted, Fleetwood won last time out on the road, beating a demoralised Newport. That aside though their record on their travels since the end of August has been poor to terrible.

They are at least scoring, and consistently so, only failing to convert twice this season.

Score prediction: 0-1.

Walsall v Crewe Alexandra

• Kick-Off: 15:00
• Rankings: 1st vs 10th

Walsall preview: Consecutive draws are not a big concern for the Saddlers. An attempt by Notts County to usurp them at the top was successfully quelled. A stalemate with Shrewsbury was simply a rare off-day.

This exact fixture played out on Boxing Day two years ago, Walsall triumphing 2-0.

Crewe preview: Adrien Thibault’s sending off just 30 minutes into Crewe’s hosting of Bristol Rovers last week fundamentally changed the narrative of the game. In that context, a draw was a satisfactory outcome.

Having turned their season around the Railwaymen have lost only one in eight. They have scored 2+ goals in five of those contests.

Score prediction: 2-2.

*Odds subject to change – prices accurate at the time of writing*