- Stenhousemuir form: Stenhousemuir are playing well with eight wins, one draw and one defeat in their last 10 matches.
- Raith form: Raith Rovers have a solid but streaky record with six wins and four defeats in their last 10 games.
- Away record: Stenhousemuir have a strong away record across all competitions, going undefeated in five matches with four wins and a draw.
Raith in the driver’s seat
These two sides meet on the opening weekend of the Championship 2026-2027 season with Raith looking to tighten their grip on home field while Stenhousemuir hope to make an early statement of their own. Dougie Imrie's side have been in decent form since he took over as head coach on 25 November 2025, but it has been a bit streaky with three wins and two defeats in their last five.
Marvin Bartley has also done a great job in his tenure as Stenhousemuir head coach since 9 June 2026, as the visitors are coming into this game in great shape. They have won four in a row coming into this and are playing a serious brand of soccer.
Back the visitors to stay in contention
Raith are the odds-on favorites at 1.65 here with Stenhousemuir marked at 5.25 and the draw at 3.5, which seems crazy when you look at both teams' records. Given Raith have been in the second tier for a long time, backing the hosts to take it looks a good idea.
But the correct score market and the overall feel of the game is for a cagey affair that could stay that way for a while, so we're going for the under 2.5 goals market at 1.67, which looks a great bet given that Raith have been involved in some goal-filled games lately.
Two teams with clear identities
Stenhousemuir setup
Bartley has got a solid spine to Stenhousemuir and their back-three system with wing-backs gives them a good base. They can be made to bend when they get out of position, but they can also sit in a 3-5-2 and be very hard to get past.
Raith approach
Imrie's team will certainly look to get on the front foot and use their energy and high press to try to win the ball back high up the field where they can break quickly through the wide channels.
Key stats and recent results
But they have also got the ability to sit back, soak pressure and counter. Raith should eventually snag it, but with Stenhousemuir unbeaten in five away games, this could be a close one for a while.
- They are averaging 2.80 goals scored and 1.20 conceded per home game across all competitions this season, so games at Stark's Park are always full of goalmouth action.
- Stenhousemuir, who have conceded eight goals on their travels across all competitions and average 1.60 goals conceded per away game, can certainly be opened up here.
- Stenhousemuir drew 2-2 away at Partick Thistle in League Cup Group E 2026, winning on penalties, then held FC Livingston to a 0-0 draw at home and won on penalties.
