Wigan Athletic
- Wigan Athletic have Paul Mullin as their key attacking outlet, and Ryan Lowe has been tasked with implementing his preferred 3-5-2 system.
- Lowe’s system is simple and not dissimilar to what he did at Preston - he demands work rate and quick transitions from his wing-backs and a three in defence.
- Wigan look to win the ball back high and then attack quickly, but have struggled to get the balance between attacking and defending right so far this season.
- Paul Mullin’s goals (4 in the league) have been their main outlet, but Fraser Murray, who has scored 4 in the league and has been their creative catalyst, has been a big influence on their play, particularly in December and the cup.
- Both sides are a little up and down at the moment with Wigan having two wins, one draw and three defeats in their last six in all competitions, although their 1-0 win at Preston in the cup on Tuesday will give them a lift.
- Wigan are without suspended striker Christian Saydee for this one, but Fraser Murray is available to play his role as a roaming forward.
Bolton Wanderers
- Bolton Wanderers are in the hands of Steven Schumacher, who has developed his own system around the players at his disposal.
- Schumacher’s system is more complex and based around control of the ball and pressing it back when out of possession.
- He’s made Bolton a very organised team that can play either a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, depending on who he has available to him, but he has a preference for playing a diamond in midfield and pressing in numbers, as he did in his promotion-winning season with Plymouth last term.
- Bolton are currently in a play-off position in League One with around 39 points, which should be enough to secure a shot at promotion, whereas Wigan are hovering around mid-table with about 30 points.
- Bolton have been even more patchy with one win, two draws and three losses in their last six, which includes a 3-1 defeat at Peterborough and a 0-0 draw at home to Northampton.
Head-to-Head
Bolton hammered Wigan 4-1 at the last time the two sides met in September 2025, but Latics had won the previous two fixtures with clean sheets.
Key Players
- Mason Burstow (7 League One goals this season) is still their main goal threat, but the arrival of Sam Dalby has given Schumacher some extra options up front and he got off the mark for Bolton with a goal against Peterborough.
- Sam Tickle remains the first-choice goalkeeper, but his defence has been leaking goals, particularly at home.
- Recent stats:
- Paul Mullin: 4 league goals.
- Fraser Murray: 4 league goals.
- Mason Burstow: 7 League One goals this season.
Betting Insights
- Bolton are 2.12 favorites to win this League One derby at Wigan Athletic, who are 3.5 outsiders, with the draw priced at 3.25.
- Both Teams to Score is 1.85, which looks a good bet given the recent history of the derby and both teams’ defensive issues.
Prediction
We can’t see either side having enough to dominate the game so we’re going for a 1-1 draw, but if Burstow and co get it right at the other end, Bolton could nick it 1-2 .
