Stoke vs QPR Prediction: Strong-starting Stoke can land a blow before half time

Play-off chasers Stoke City meet Queens Park Rangers this Saturday, January 17 (15:00 GMT). The Potters are just a point behind sixth-placed Watford at press time, though the Hornets have a game in hand.

QPR were agonisingly knocked out of the FA Cup in a 2-1 defeat to West Ham United, after taking the Premier League side to extra time. Julien Stephan’s men look to dust themselves off and pull off a tricky away task. Read on for my Stoke vs QPR predictions with the latest team news and match odds.

Football Odds

Team News

Robert Bozenik’s New Years Day started brilliantly and ended in tragedy, as he scored his first Potters goal and before dislocating his shoulder. That gruesome injury led to surgery that will sideline the striker for a while.

Stoke’s injury list is a lengthy one. Joining Bozenik are defender Ben Gibson, Sweden stopper Viktor Johansson, veteran Aaron Cresswell, midfielder Lewis Baker and full back Eric Bocat.

QPR’s own ranks of the unavailable expanded in their last outing. Forward Rumarn Burrell, St Etienne target Jonathan Varane and Kwame Poku were forced off against Sheffield Wednesday. None of the trio are expected to return for this match.

They join longer-term absentees Ilias Chair, Jake Clarke-Salter, Ziyad Larkeche and Liam Morrison.

Stoke vs QPR Odds

Stoke are your 11/10 favourites to triumph here. QPR are priced at 13/5 to defeat a team they beat 1-0 in the reverse fixture. The draw is marketed at 9/4, a result that has happened in 24% of the meetings between these sides.

Divin Mubama to score first is the subject of a Price Boost. You can now get 11/2 on the Manchester City loanee to score first, up from 9/2.

Today's Football Fixtures

Stoke to win to nil @ 21/10

The most miserly defence in the league meets the joint-fourth top scorers. Something has to give.

I think it will be QPR’s prolific streak rather than Stoke’s sturdy defence. The Potters are yet to concede in 2026, including a 1-0 victory over league leaders Coventry City in last weekend’s FA Cup third-round encounter. Keeping the free-scoring Sky Blues shackled is no mean feat. I feel like the home side will man the barricades effectively again on Saturday afternoon.

First Half Result - Stoke @ 7/4

If only the first 45 minutes of games was used to determine the final result, Stoke would sit fifth in the league. QPR, conversely, would place 15th. For this reason I can see Mark Robins’ side coming flying out of the blocks to take the lead before the break.

Of course, for an adjusted league taking into account only the second half of games, QPR place fifth to Stoke’s eighth. While I do believe the hosts will hold on, if you wanted to play the numbers then the statistics back Stoke at least leading going into the break.

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