Preview: Luton Town vs. Stevenage - prediction, team news, lineups

Both Luton Town and Stevenage will look to close the gap on the League One top six when they meet at Kenilworth Road on Saturday afternoon.

Both sides have been out of action since New Year's Day, after their respective fixtures against Doncaster Rovers and Leyton Orient were postponed due to bad weather.

Match preview

Since the departure of Matt Bloomfield, Luton Town have shown clear improvement under Jack Wilshere, who is aiming to guide the Hatters straight back towards the Championship at the first time of asking.

The end of 2025 saw successive wins for Wilshere's side, but a draw on New Year's Day and a postponement last time out mean the Hatters are currently eighth and four points off the top six.

The busy festive period and New Year period has seen inconsistent results at time for Luton Town, who have struggled for sustained momentum that would otherwise see them move up the table.

Wilshere has overseen 17 games in all competitions, producing eight wins, five draws and four defeats, with his side now boasting the joint sixth-best attacking record in this division.

A win on Saturday will not be enough to lift the Hatters into the playoff spots, but they could potentially go a point off sixth place with a victory and results going their way.

As for Stevenage, they have followed up a mid-table finish last season brilliantly, with a place in the League One playoffs looking more likely by each gameweek.

Alex Revell's Boro come into Saturday's clash one place and two points ahead of Luton Town, with victory potentially allowing Stevenage to climb as high as fourth in the standings.

With just two league wins in their last seven, Revell's side have slipped out of the playoffs for now, but they have two or more games in hand on every side above them, allowing Stevenage to cement their place in the top six when they catch up.

Their defensive record has been a standout feature, with their 18 points from 12 games on the road the third-best in the division, a record they will hope to build on on Saturday afternoon.

The pair will meet for the second time this season, with Stevenage winning the reverse fixture 2-0.

Luton Town League One form:

D D L W W L

Stevenage League One form:

L W D D L D

Team News

Luton benefit from nine days rest since their last outing, and Wilshere could name an unchanged XI.

The only absentee remains Shandon Baptiste, who suffered a cruciate ligament tear in August and is not expected to return anytime soon.

A minor hip knock meant Josh Keeley missed the clash against Exeter City and was replaced in goal by James Shea - expect the former Tottenham Hotspur shot-stopper to return between the sticks.

The former Arsenal midfielder should stick with his usual 4-3-3 lineup, with Jerry Yates leading the line and hoping to end his barren run in front of goal.

As for Revell, they have also had a longer gap between games after last weekend's postponement.

Their New Year's Day clash saw Jake Young come off the bench but replaced soon after because of an injury; expect him to miss this one.

In his absence, Jamie Reid seems likely to keep his spot up top.

Luton possible starting lineup:

Keeley; Lonwijk, Andersen, Mengi, Johnson; Saville, Walsh, Clark; Morris, Yates, Bramall

Stevenage possible starting lineup:

Marschall; James-Wildin, Sweeney, Piergianni, Freestone; Houghton, White; Kemp, Phillips, Patterson; Reid

We say: Luton Town 1-1 Stevenage

Both sides sit in similar positions in the league with similar ambitions for the end of the season.

The pair, who are also looking to claim their first win of 2026, come into this match very tightly matched, and we expect that to show on the pitch. We see the points being shared in a low-scoring affair.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.