Ipswich Town vs Stoke City Predictions, Lineups & Betting Tips

Ipswich Town vs Stoke City Predictions, Lineups & Betting Tips

Match Details: December 10th, 2025 | Portman Road | EFL Championship | 19:45 (GMT)

The singular point that separates Ipswich Town and Stoke City in the Championship’s top six might seem like a minuscule amount, but it is still a monumental shock when considering the expectations bestowed upon the two clubs before a ball was kicked this season.

The Tractor Boys didn’t have a pretty start. Acclimatised to the losing lifestyle that was developed during their Premier League relegation season, questions were raised over whether Ipswich would fall to the third tier as quickly as they rose to the first. One small factor was forgotten, though, Kieran McKenna is no fool. Now, the Suffolk side is in promotion-pushing form, as their parachute payments boosted squad looks to return to the promised land.

Speaking of parachute payments, Stoke City’s dried up almost half a decade ago, but the former Premier League club don’t look nearly as phased about it this campaign as they did in recent years. Powered by Mark Robins, who has been the best arrival in Stoke since Marko Arnautovic in 2013, Stoke look like genuine play-off contenders, but after a recent struggle for form, has the Potters’ magic run out?

Key Betting Tip: Ipswich to Win at 1.62 odds (talkSPORT BET) represents excellent value based on the tip provided by our team of in-house tipsters.

Stoke City have lost the last two games away from home, contributing to their drop off in form. Ipswich, on the other hand, are unbeaten since October at Portman Road. The form chants align, pointing to one sacred betting tip: a Tractor Boys victory.

Ipswich Town vs Stoke City Predicted Lineups

Ipswich Town Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Christian Walton (GK), Leif David, Cedric Kipre, Dara O’Shea, Darnell Furlong; Jack Taylor, Azor Matusiwa, Marcelino Nunez, Jaden Philogene-Bidace, Sindre Walle Egeli; George Hirst

Ipswich Town Team News: The last time Ipswich played in a mid-week fixture, they rotated in Ashley Young, Jack Clarke, Chuba Akpom, Kasey McAteer, and Ivan Azon. McKenna might consider doing this again with Leicester City looming at the weekend; however, this rotated attack struggled to find a goal against Blackburn.

Walton will continue his run as Ipswich keeper due to Alex Palmer’s calf injury in October. During that time, the club have picked up form thanks to multiple strong performances from the No.28. Therefore, it will be no surprise if Walton continues in goal for Ipswich upon Palmer’s return in a couple of weeks.

Wes Burns is edging closer to his Tractor Boys return after almost a year out with an ACL injury. Conor Townsend is still much earlier into his ACL issues and will be out for a few more months.

Stoke City Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Viktor Johansson (GK), Aaron Cresswell, Ben Wilmot, Maksym Talovierov, Junior Tchamadeu; Bosun Lawal, Jamie Donley, Million Manhoef, Joon-Ho Bae, Sorba Thomas; Robert Bozenik

Stoke City Team News: After Eric Bocat’s poor display against Sheffield United, Cresswell is expected to return to the starting eleven after he was benched at the weekend. Lawal could be moved into Stoke’s midfield, allowing room for Talovierov to make his second start of the season, as Ashley Phillips is suspended due to yellow card accumulation.

Jamie Donley might also be given another chance in midfield after Tatsuki Seko and Tomas Rigo failed to impress against the Blades. Ben Pearson and Lewis Baker would ideally occupy Stoke’s double pivot of defensive midfielders; however, both are sidelined due to injury until later this month.

It’s a coin toss over whether Divin Mubama or Bozenik will start up top; however, Robins tends to rotate the pair, meaning it is the Slovakian’s turn to have a punt at goal.

Ipswich Town vs Stoke City Current League Standings

The Tractor Boys have risen from 12th to 4th since the start of November, and can now go that step further by climbing within two points of Middlesbrough in the second automatic promotion spot should Boro lose against Charlton.

Ipswich are the Championship’s second-highest scorers, after Frank Lampard’s Coventry City, who are quite frankly out of this world going forward. Their 33 goals, boosted by their expensive attack, have led them to earn 31 points from 18 games. McKenna’s side also has the second-best defensive record in the league, conceding an average of one goal per game. Form that certainly indicates this is a team to be reckoned with.

Only one team have conceded fewer goals than Ipswich, and that is none other than Stoke City. However, their defensive record looked a lot more majestic before Sheffield United put four past them over the weekend. The Potters have conceded 18 league goals all season, leaving them second and in an excellent position after matchday 14.

Robins’ side has picked up three points in the five games since then, seeing them fall off drastically. This is largely due to key injuries in midfield.

Ipswich Town vs Stoke City Head-to-Head Timeline

This fixture has been a second-tier regular in its 75-year-plus history, briefly meeting in the top flight during the late 70s and early 80s. The pair have never crossed paths in the Premier League despite both enduring short spells.

Ipswich and Stoke have a completely even head-to-head record, sharing 29 wins each, and 22 draws, resulting in 80 games in total. This will be just the third time they have been in the same league as each other since 2007/08; those two campaigns were 2018/19 and 2023/24, between those years Ipswich languished in League One whilst Stoke stagnated in the Championship.

The Tractor Boys have had far more success in recent years, as Stoke have failed to score in their last two meetings with Ipswich, and last won at Portman Road in December 2006.

Recent Head-to-Head Results:

• January 2024: Stoke City 0-0 Ipswich Town (EFL Championship)
• August 2023: Ipswich Town 2-0 Stoke City (EFL Championship)
• February 2019: Ipswich Town 1-1 Stoke City (EFL Championship)
• December 2018: Stoke City 2-0 Ipswich Town (EFL Championship)
• February 2008: Stoke City 1-0 Ipswich Town (EFL Championship)

Recent Ipswich Town and Stoke City Matches Analysis

As Stoke have fallen, Ipswich have risen, replacing the Potters as the prime candidate chasing the top two (sorry, Millwall). Stoke’s form consists of four losses in their last five, and Ipswich’s just one loss in the same time frame.

Ipswich Town Last 5 Matches:

• 6th December: Ipswich Town 3-0 Coventry City (EFL Championship)
• 2nd December: Blackburn Rovers 1-1 Ipswich Town (EFL Championship)
• 28th November: Oxford United 2-1 Ipswich Town (EFL Championship)
• 25th November: Hull City 0-2 Ipswich Town (EFL Championship)
• 22nd November: Ipswich Town 0-0 Wrexham (EFL Championship)

Heading into the Coventry game, many expected Ipswich to struggle, but their 3-0 thumping of the Sky Blues sent Lampard and Co plummeting back down ot earth, making a clear statement of intent. The only odd scoreline in this list of form is the Tractor Boys’ defeat away at Oxford; however, this loss was simply down to Oxford capitalising on Ipswich’s congested fixture list and smashing their game management plan.

Stoke City Last 5 Matches:

• December 6th: Sheffield United 4-0 Stoke City (EFL Championship)
• November 29th: Stoke City 1-2 Hull City (EFL Championship)
• November 25th: Stoke City 3-0 Charlton Athletic (EFL Championship)
• November 22nd: Leicester City 2-1 Stoke City (EFL Championship)
• November 8th: Stoke City 0-1 Coventry City (EFL Championship)

Stoke City’s only win and clean sheet in their last five fixtures came against a Charlton side that couldn’t find the back of the net if their life depended on it. Whilst tricky fixtures have arrived against sides in and around them in the table, it's still a rut that the Potters will expectedly struggle to get out of.

Ipswich Town vs Stoke City Predictions

Our advanced algorithm analyses over 200 data points to generate these predictions with 50% confidence in an Ipswich Town win. The model factors in current form, head-to-head records, player availability, and tactical matchups. Other percentages include a 20% confidence that Stoke wins, and a 30% confidence that the teams draw.

Best Ipswich Town vs Stoke City Betting Tips

Football Park’s Best Bet: Ipswich Town to Win @ 1.62 (talkSPORT BET) - Our team of in-house betting tipsters have predicted an Ipswich Town WIN in this fixture. Their superior form, home advantage, and head-to-head record justify confidence in this selection.

Key Players to Watch: Ipswich Town vs Stoke City

Sindre Walle Egeli (Ipswich Town): The 19-year-old Norwegian international signed for Ipswich this summer for a reported £17.5 million from the famed Nordsjaelland academy. The attack-minded player has gradually adjusted to the English game and is beginning to find his form on the right flank for Ipswich, scoring in both his last two games. Certainly one to watch, providing McKenna continues to pick his starting eleven based on merit.

Sorba Thomas (Stoke City): The former Non League starlet has returned from his spell in France and reminded the rest of the Championship why any side would be lucky to have him bombing up and down the wing. His 7 goals and 5 assists in the Championship have seen him fully return to the Welsh National Team picture, and win Stoke’s player of the month in both October and November.

Ipswich Town vs Stoke City Match Facts

Broadcast Details: This fixture will be available to stream on Sky Sports+, which is available as an app or on any Sky box.

Stadium Information: Portman Road is a football ground located in the centre of Ipswich, north of the River Orwell and 450 yards from Ipswich Railway Station. It has been the home of Ipswich Town since 1884; however, it has also hosted England youth fixtures, international hockey games, and concerts.

It is the largest-capacity football ground in East Anglia, and has seen heavy investment in order to improve the stadium and bring it up to Premier League standards in recent years. The maximum capacity is 29,673-30,056; however, in the past, it has seen attendances close to 40,000, back when standing was allowed.

It has hosted over 30 European fixtures during Ipswich’s golden days, including giant clubs like Inter Milan, Roma, AC Milan, Real Madrid, Barcelona twice, and Aberdeen.

Referee: Adam Herczeg (England) began his officiating career at 15 years of age and has rapidly been promoted through the ranks of the English game. After several seasons officiating in the non-league, including the infamous 2022 National League play-off between Wrexham and Grimsby Town, he was promoted to the EFL in 2022, taking charge of fixtures across League One and League Two.

Herczeg went on to officiate his first Championship fixture in March 2024. His steady progression has seen him entrusted with an increasing number of second-tier matches during the 2024/25 campaign, and now the 2025/26.

This is the first time Herczeg will officiate either of these teams. He has brandished nine red cards in his career, including three in 16 Championship games. As for penalty kicks, he has awarded two this season, both in huge games between Leicester/Middlesbrough and Sheffield United/Southampton.