Wigan Athletic are rooted to the bottom of League One and will be hoping for a morale-boosting victory over mid-table third-tier rivals Blackpool in their EFL Trophy Northern Group B fixture at Brick Community Stadium on Tuesday.
Wigan lost 1-0 at home to Wycombe last week and that defeat was their fifth in seven league games and it left them in 24th place, three points inside the relegation places.
Avoiding the drop may also be on the minds of Blackpool, who continued their recent slump with a 4-2 loss at home to Plymouth.
Ian Evatt’s side had started the season with high hopes of pushing for a place in the playoffs and they got off to a strong start with seven points accrued from the first three games.
However, results have taken a turn for the worse with Saturday’s setback extending Seasiders’ winless run to four successive games.
Wigan Athletic v Blackpool Tips Summary
Best Bet - Wigan to win @ 27/20
Alternative Bet - Wigan to win and both teams to score @ 3/1
Bet Builder - Sonny Perkins to score anytime and Over 3 goals @ 29/10
Wigan Athletic v Blackpool Prediction
Best Bet: Wigan to win 27/20
Wigan are about to get a welcome break from League One action, but they will be keen to rediscover the winning habit and can do exactly that by defeating Blackpool in their opening match of the EFL Trophy.
Early season league tables can be misleading and there is plenty of evidence to suggest that Wigan will be on the rise in the not-too-distant future.
The Latics’ League One xG (11.8) is way higher than their goal tally (5), while their average possession share (53.8) is indicative of a team which has had plenty of control without making it count on the scoreboard.
Wigan have had plenty of encouraging performances, including a goalless draw at Sheffield Wednesday earlier this month when they carved out the better chances.
There is less at stake in the EFL Trophy and that may help the Latics to play with a little more freedom and make the most of their promising approach play.
Blackpool are another side without a weekend league fixture and in need of a morale boost, but they have plenty of injury concerns and are further depleted by international call ups for captain and midfielder Karoy Anderson, first choice goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell and striker Dion Charles.
Tangerines’ boss Ian Evatt may be reluctant to risk too many of his available senior players and any changes that that he makes could play into the hands of Wigan, who look a solid wager to win on home soil.
Alternative Bet: Wigan to win and both teams to score @ 3/1
The majority of recent games involving Blackpool have been exciting for the neutral.
Blackpool have scored in each of their nine fixtures since the start of the season.
However, they have tasted defeat in three of their last four outings and the losing trend is set to continue.
Wigan Athletic v Blackpool Prediction Bet Builder Tip
Sonny Perkins to score anytime
Over 3 goals
Pays 29/10
Wigan’s struggles have been heavily influenced by a failure to make the most of their goalscoring opportunities.
And one of the players feeling especially frustrated is attacker Sonny Perkins, who has scored one league goal from 14 attempts.
Perkins continues to get himself into some excellent positions and his luck could change against an injury-hit Blackpool side missing central defenders Fraser Horsfall and Michael Ihiekwe.
Blackpool have been trying to fight fire with fire and their attacking approach should contribute to a high-scoring outcome.
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Key Match Stats
Wigan have conceded less than two goals in four of their last five fixtures
Five of Wigan’s last eight home games have featured at least three goals
Five of Blackpool’s last six games have featured at least four goals
Blackpool have conceded multiple goals in each of their last four matches
The Tangerines have lost three of their last four games
Both teams have scored in eight of Blackpool’s last nine fixtures
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
