Doncaster Rovers vs Sheffield Wednesday prediction
Full analysisTeam news, injuries and lineups read by our AI scouts, updated when the official lineups are out. How it works
KickoffHour pre-match forecast
Who wins?
Wide open: no clear favourite (Sheffield Wednesday 39%)
Goals call3+ goals 65% · bookies 57% · ✗ 2 goals
The Verdict
Our numbers moved away from the bookmakers by favoring a higher scoring match, and The Sceptic's view was not followed because the extensive injury list for Wednesday was deemed less impactful than the overall squad depth.
What our AI analysts say
Our analysts are split: The Coach thinks Doncaster Rovers are underrated; The Dressing Room thinks Sheffield Wednesday are underrated; The Sceptic thinks a draw is underrated.
The Coach
tactics and lineupsDepleted Wednesday defence keeps this closer than the table suggests.
Wednesday are without Lowe (suspended), Barry, Lumley and 3 more, with Bernard out and Cooper doubtful; Cooper and Palmer slot into a makeshift back line. Doncaster miss eight players and switch to a back three. Both attacks are weakened, but Wednesday still field Bannan and Keillor-Dunn behind Al-Hamadi.
Doncaster: clearly underrated
More goalsMed✓ Right The Dressing Room
mood and pressureSheffield Wednesday's superior league position and motivation give them the edge in this derby.
Doncaster Rovers is aiming to bounce back from consecutive defeats and move closer to mid-table. Sheffield Wednesday is under pressure to achieve promotion back to the Championship. The match is a South Yorkshire derby at Club Doncaster Sports Village.
Sheffield Wednesday: slightly underrated
Low✗ Wrong The Sceptic
where the market may be wrongSheffield Wednesday's promotion push is significantly tested by a large number of squad absences.
Sheffield Wednesday is under pressure to return to the Championship, while Doncaster Rovers seeks to improve their League One standing. Wednesday is dealing with multiple key absences, including suspended forward Jamal Lowe.
AI analysts are automated roles, not people. Their leans are not betting tips. Who reads the game best
In short
Doncaster Rovers are looking to improve their League One standing, while Sheffield Wednesday is under pressure to achieve promotion. Both teams are dealing with significant squad limitations, particularly Sheffield Wednesday, who face multiple suspensions and injuries.
More markets
Win or draw (double chance)
- Doncaster Rovers win or draw
- 61%
- Either team wins (no draw)
- 74%
- Sheffield Wednesday win or draw
- 65%
Goals in the match (over/under)
- 2+ goals
- 85%
- 3+ goals
- 65%
- 4+ goals
- 43%
Both teams score (BTTS)
- Yes
- 66%
- No
- 34%
We expect about 1.6 goals from Doncaster Rovers and 1.7 from Sheffield Wednesday. (expected goals)
Most likely score: 1–1 (10%). Even the likeliest exact score happens only about 1 time in 10. Next: 1–2 (8%), 2–1 (8%), 2–2 (7%), 0–1 (6%).
How we got to these numbers
| Home | Draw | Away | 3+ goals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bookmakers | 35% | 25% | 39% | 57% |
| Goals model | 26% | 28% | 47% | 47% |
| AI analysts | 28% | 28% | 43% | 71% |
| Our forecast | 35% | 26% | 39% | 65% |
Verdict: Our final probabilities differ from the market by favoring a higher scoring match, moving the Over 2.5 probability significantly higher than the bookmakers. This is based on the high-scoring nature of the competition and the pressure on both sides.
Our forecast starts from the bookmakers' prices and moves only by what the news justifies, capped at 8 percentage points per outcome. Methodology
Prediction history
Frozen at kick-off. Version 2 is the one that counts in our track record. Every version is in the public ledger (how to check).
Form
All competitions, newest first.
Doncaster Rovers: last 6
LLWWWL · 5 scored, 5 conceded
| 20 Oct | vs Stockport County | 0–2 | L |
| 17 Oct | at Leicester | 1–2 | L |
| 10 Oct | vs Burton Albion | 1–0 | W |
| 6 Oct | vs Liverpool U21 EFL Trophy | 1–0 | W |
| 19 Sep | at Peterborough | 2–0 | W |
| 12 Sep | at AFC Wimbledon | 0–1 | L |
Last 5 at home: LWWLL
Sheffield Wednesday: last 6
LWDWWD · 11 scored, 5 conceded
| 20 Oct | at Notts County | 0–2 | L |
| 17 Oct | vs AFC Wimbledon | 5–0 | W |
| 10 Oct | at Huddersfield | 2–2 | D |
| 6 Oct | vs Sunderland U21 EFL Trophy | 2–0 | W |
| 22 Sep | at Salford City EFL Trophy | 2–1 | W |
| 19 Sep | vs Stockport County | 0–0 | D |
Last 5 away: LDWWW
Season stats
| Doncaster Rovers | Sheffield Wednesday | |
|---|---|---|
| 1.00 | Goals scored per game | 2.00 |
| 1.30 | Goals conceded per game | 1.00 |
| 0.80 | Scored per game at home | 2.40 |
| 1.20 | Scored per game away | 1.60 |
| 40% | Matches over 2.5 goals | 60% |
| 50% | Both teams scored | 50% |
| 30% | Clean sheets | 30% |
| 30% | Failed to score | 40% |
| 2.30 | Yellow cards per game | 2.10 |
League matches only, 10 games each.
When goals come
| Minutes | Doncaster Rovers | Sheffield Wednesday |
|---|---|---|
| 0–15 min | ||
| 16–30 min | ||
| 31–45 min | ||
| 46–60 min | ||
| 61–75 min | ||
| 76–90 min |
League One table
| # | Team | Pld | Goal diff. | Points | League form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Reading | 12 | +12 | 21 | WWLWD |
| 6 | Cambridge United | 12 | +3 | 20 | LDWWD |
| 7 | Oxford United | 10 | +8 | 19 | DWDWD |
| 8 | Sheffield Wednesday | 11 | +8 | 18 | LLWDD |
| 9 | Mansfield Town | 11 | +4 | 18 | WWDWD |
| 10 | Luton | 11 | +2 | 17 | WWLWL |
| 11 | Burton Albion | 13 | -1 | 17 | WDDLL |
| … | |||||
| 14 | Wycombe | 12 | -4 | 15 | DDWLD |
| 15 | Leyton Orient | 12 | +2 | 14 | LLWDL |
| 16 | AFC Wimbledon | 12 | -11 | 13 | DLLLD |
| 17 | Doncaster Rovers | 11 | -1 | 12 | WLLWW |
| 18 | Milton Keynes Dons | 11 | -6 | 12 | WLWLD |
| 19 | Notts County | 11 | -3 | 11 | DWLLL |
| 20 | Blackpool | 11 | -4 | 11 | LWLLL |
Head-to-head
Last 5 meetings: Doncaster Rovers won 3, Sheffield Wednesday 2, 0 draws; 1.8 goals per game.
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Jul 2023 | Doncaster Rovers | 1–0 | Sheffield Wednesday | Friendlies Clubs |
| 19 Feb 2022 | Doncaster Rovers | 1–3 | Sheffield Wednesday | League One |
| 14 Aug 2021 | Sheffield Wednesday | 2–0 | Doncaster Rovers | League One |
| 22 Mar 2014 | Doncaster Rovers | 1–0 | Sheffield Wednesday | Championship |
| 28 Sep 2013 | Sheffield Wednesday | 0–1 | Doncaster Rovers | Championship |
Team news: lineups Confirmed
Goalkeeper
- 1Tommy Simkin
Defenders
- 2J. Sterry
- 27S. Grehan
- 12N. Byrne
- 23J. Senior
Midfielders
- 22R. Gotts
- 4O. Bailey
- 11L. Ayinde
- 21I. Hutchinson
- 47H. Adelakun
Forward
- 18W. Keane
Substitutes (7)
- 8G. Broadbent
- 9B. Hanlan
- 10A. May
- 25B. McCann
- 6J. McGrath
- 7T. O'Reilly
- 41Jacob Samuel Bryant
Goalkeeper
- 13A. Maynard-Brewer
Defenders
- 7Y. Valery
- 2L. Palmer
- 6L. Cooper
- 3M. Lowe
Midfielders
- 20K. Morrison
- 16B. Mitchell
- 10B. Bannan
- 18Jaden Heskey
- 50D. Keillor-Dunn
Forward
- 12Ali Al Hamadi
Substitutes (7)
- 48Mason Paul James Burstow
- 14S. Fusire
- 19W. Grainger
- 33R. James
- 26S. Swinkels
- 27C. Trueman
- 30Ernie Weaver
Official team sheets, updated UK time (GMT).
Team news: injuries and suspensions
| Player | Team | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jamal Lowe | Sheffield Wednesday | Suspended | [2][3] |
| Louie Barry | Sheffield Wednesday | Out | [2][3] |
| Joe Lumley | Sheffield Wednesday | Out | [2][3] |
| Ricardo Santos | Sheffield Wednesday | Out | [2][3] |
| Jordi Liongola | Sheffield Wednesday | Out | [2][3] |
| Sil Swinkels | Sheffield Wednesday | Out | [2][3] |
| Di'Shon Bernard | Sheffield Wednesday | Doubt | [1][2][3] |
| Liam Cooper | Sheffield Wednesday | Doubt | [2] |
| James Collins | Doncaster Rovers | Out | [3] |
| Francis Okoronkwo | Doncaster Rovers | Out | [3] |
| Matty Pearson | Doncaster Rovers | Out | [3] |
| James Husband | Doncaster Rovers | Out | [3] |
| Tommi O'Reilly | Doncaster Rovers | Out | [3] |
| Jack Senior | Doncaster Rovers | Out | [3] |
| Jamie Sterry | Doncaster Rovers | Out | [3] |
| Jordan Thomas | Doncaster Rovers | Out | [3] |
Key facts
- Doncaster Rovers currently occupy 19th place in the table with 9 points from 10 matches.[1][2][3][4]
- Sheffield Wednesday is ranked 7th in the league, having secured 18 points from their first 10 games.[1][2][3][4]
- Doncaster Rovers' home record this season consists of one win, two draws, and two losses.[1][2][3][4]
- Sheffield Wednesday's away form includes three wins, one draw, and one loss.[1][2][3][4]
- Doncaster Rovers are currently aiming to move closer to mid-table following two consecutive defeats.[3]
- Sheffield Wednesday is facing pressure to secure promotion back to the Championship.[1][3]
Sources
- the72.co.uk – Sheffield Wednesday injury update on Di'Shon Bernard
- thewednesdayword.com – Key Di'Shon Bernard update and an impending return: Sheffield Wednesday ...
- sportsmole.co.uk – Preview: Doncaster Rovers vs Sheffield Wednesday - prediction, team ...
- bbc.co.uk – Doncaster Rovers vs Sheffield Wednesday: League One stats & head-to-head - BBC (2026-10-23)
Match context
- Stadium
- Eco-Power Stadium, Doncaster, South Yorkshire
- 15,231 seats · grass
- Travel for Sheffield Wednesday
- 27 km
- Rest days
- Doncaster Rovers 3Sheffield Wednesday 3
- Matches in the last 14 days: Doncaster Rovers 2 · Sheffield Wednesday 2
- Weather at kick-off
- 10°C · wind 28 km/h
- Rain expected
- Coaches
- G. McCann
- Doncaster Rovers, since May 2023
- H. Pedersen
- Sheffield Wednesday, since Jul 2025
- Goals in this league
- League One average: 2.83 per match
Published UK time (GMT) · Updated UK time (GMT)
This analysis was generated automatically by an AI model from public sources. How it works →
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