EPL Betting Predictions: Bolton vs. Wigan

Bolton Wanderers are 14th in the table, up a spot after beating West Ham United on Saturday. They suffered a bit of a setback against Sunderland on Tuesday when they lost 4:0. A win and a loss, a tally of three points, from their two-match road trip is better than nothing I suppose.

Unlike Bolton, Wigan are after an impressive 1:0 win over Liverpool at home and they will be looking to extend that positive trend at the expense of Bolton. The win is a positive sign for Wigan, it lifted them up a spot in the table, putting them only a point and a rank adrift of Bolton.

However, reality is that both sides are averaging a point a match. At this rate, they will have to watch their backs from now until the end of the season and they won’t be able to afford any slip-ups. They could be too costly.

Already, as things stand, they are extremely close to the drop zone (current cut-off is at 24 points), another loss and they could be in the thick of it.

Bolton have to get back on the right track. Same goes for Wigan Athletic. That Bolton and Wigan are neck-and-neck in the table makes this another crucial fixture for both, namely for survival points.

This is a must-win for each side but given current circumstances I believe they would welcome a point each on the draw.

Soccer Betting Line:

Bolton -½ +105 +105 2½ O +110 U -130 1½ O +115 U -135 Draw +225
Wigan +½ -125 +265 2½ O +110 U -130 1 O +105 U -125 Draw +225

Half Time Line:

Bolton pk -170 +170 1 O +125 U -145 Draw +105
Wigan pk +150 +310 1 O +125 U -145 Draw +105

To Score First Line: Bolton-160 Wigan +120

Match Time: 10:00 AM Eastern Time Saturday March 13, 2010

Soccer Betting Verdict: Bolton are listed at +105 to win outright while Wigan are trading at +265 to win outright. Bolton’s odds are much better than Wigan’s because Bolton have been rather impressive at home. They are 3-2-1 at home in their last six, which is good news for their survival hopes if they can continue this trend. Put against Wigan’s road record of 1-1-4 in their last six and you get the picture.

Wigan have been too inconsistent this season, interestingly both at home and on the road. Bolton appear to be the stronger and the better side. So if soccer bettors were looking for an outfit to back on the outright win I would recommend Bolton. Desperate times call for desperate measures and Wigan could theoretically come up big; but let us face it, it would be a long shot bet at +265. If you believe Wigan will account well, I think they have a chance at playing the draw, listed at +225 instead.