- Blackpool have won one and lost four of their last five games, leaving them 20th in League One 2026/2027 with eight points from nine games.
- Mansfield are 13th in League One 2026/2027 with 12 points from their opening nine games.
- Blackpool beat Mansfield 1-0 in the last League One meeting at Bloomfield Road and Mansfield have failed to win in their last two trips here.
Seasiders will try to ride on the wave of Stags’ cup disappointment
Blackpool will look to take advantage of Mansfield's probable post-cup disappointment when the teams face off at Bloomfield Road on Saturday. Ian Evatt's flexible back-three and wing-back system should make it tough for Nigel Clough's compact three-at-the-back system to break down.
The Seasiders are trying to ride a wave of momentum that doesn't seem to exist for the hosts at the moment. Blackpool have lost their two most recent league games - 1-0 at Cambridge United and 2-0 at Leyton Orient - to leave them on the back of a two-match losing streak. Mansfield, by contrast, bounced back from cup defeat with a 2-1 home win over Bromley and a 1-1 draw with Oxford United on their home turf.
The Stags have enough in them to make Blackpool work hard for every chance in this contest and Mansfield's organisation and ability to catch opponents off guard on the counter should ensure that this game is close. The Seasiders will be looking for Jerry Yates to give them the edge as he has two goals in five games and the same number in Blackpool's last five.
Clough will be happy for Jonathan Russell to lead the line as he has been the Stags' top scorer in League One 2026/2027 with two goals in three games. Michael Smith has also chipped in with two in the previous five - giving Clough two reliable finishers in his team.
Stags will make it hard for Blackpool
Blackpool are 36/25 favourites to beat Mansfield, who are 41/25 to avoid defeat, with the draw available at 51/20. The hosts have a home advantage and the visitors have only one point from four away trips in League One 2026/2027 - so that's the order that appeals to me most.
But Blackpool have only won one of their four home games so far in League One 2026/2027, drawing two and losing one. The home side have scored nine goals in four games at this venue, so it makes more sense to back a game that goes with their attacking lean at Over 2.5 goals at 7/10, while BTTS at 11/20 should also be a solid play given these two styles should complement each other nicely.
