Wigan

Tottenham v Wigan Premier League betting will get the focus back onto the pitch for Spurs. Boss Harry Redknapp is involved in a court case at the moment, so there is that distraction. So too was the defeat which they suffered in their last outing, so Spurs, who slipped up there against leaders Manchester City, need a big bounce back performance. Spurs had been flying high prior to that outing, going on a long unbeaten stretch. However, they were undone in controversial circumstances when City’s Mario Balotelli remained on the pitch to score the winner from the penalty spot, when Spurs wanted him sent off for allegedly stamping on Scott Parker’s head. This is the kind of fixture where Spurs need to show their grit and steel and although on paper, a home tie against Wigan looks a banker, Tottenham still have to deliver and not take their foot off the gas. After losing crucial ground on Manchester City, Spurs remain in third place, but now eight points back of the leaders, so all the Londoners can do now, is keep picking up three points and wait for the Manchester clubs to slip up. Spurs did run out winners against Watford in the FA Cup on Friday night, but they picked up some injury problems, with Jermain Defoe and Aaron Lennon looking unlikely to make the match on Tuesday night. Spurs will of course remember the shock result in this corresponding fixture from last season, when the Latics showed up at White Hart Lane and stole a 1-0 victory. No-one saw that coming then, and that is just the kind of surprise that Harry Redknapp’s men need to avoid if they are going to hang in contention for the league title. The London side naturally go as favourites in Tottenham v Wigan Premier League betting as they look to get back to wining ways in the Premier League. Even half of that nine goal mauling they handed out in this fixture two seasons ago would do nicely.

As for Wigan, well it is all struggles and woe at the moment, as the Latics have fallen to the bottom of the pile. After holding Chelsea and Liverpool to draws at home in back to back games, a mini revival looked on the cards for Roberto Martinez’s men, but that has all come unravelled as they have lost their last three matches straight now. That extends to a run of seven league matches without a win for Wigan now and with their lowly goal tallies, it is tough to see where the points are going to come from. However, out of Wigan’s only three victories this season in the Premier League, two of them have come away from home. This is just the sort of match in which upsets do occur and at least for the team talk, Roberto Martinez can remind him of Hugo Rodallego’s winning goal at White Hart Lane last season against the odds. He can also point to the fact that Spurs haven’t scored against the Latics in the last two meetings, so while Wigan are struggling both at the back and the front on the pitch, can they show up and throw another major spanner in the title works of Spurs? They will be buoyed by the arrival of midfielder Jean Beausejour who could give them a bit of thrust in the middle of the park and they will lean heavily on Hugo Rodallego again, who has netted two goals in his last three league matches. Yes, the odds are totally stacked against the visitors getting anything out of this Tottenham v Wigan betting, but they got the better of Spurs last season, can they come in fresh, after not having played on the weekend and battle their way to a precious point? The Latics are in serious danger of getting left behind and the foot of the table and they need to show some fight.

Tottenham v Wigan betting odds
Spurs to win: 1/4 at Paddy Power
Draw: 11/2 at Bet365
Wigan to win: 16/1 at 188Bet

Popular online bookmaker Bet Victor are running their Double Up Goalscorer promotion for your Spurs v Wigan betting. Place a winning First Goalscorer bet on the match with Bet Victor, and if that same player then goes on to score a second goal at anytime during the game, then the bookie will pay you out at double your original First Goalscorer odds! A great promotion and it means that you could potentially double up on odds in the market such as Emmanuel Adebayor at 3/1, Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart at 4/1 and Rodallego at 14/1. Great coverage on your First Goalscorer betting from Bet Victor, who offer a free £25 bet for new customers registering an account. The bookie will match the value of your first stake on a new account with a free bet, up to the maximum value of £25.

Manchester City need that they need to initiate a response to the weekend’s Premier League action on Monday night, with a triumph over Wigan at the JJB Stadium. Boss Roberto Mancini will have seen Man Utd triumph 3-0 over Bolton on Saturday to draw level with them on points at the top of the table. So in this top versus bottom clash of Wigan v Man City betting, City need to pick up three points to keep just a little bit of daylight between them and their bitter rivals. City’s strong form from the start of the season dipped a little over the festive period, and with an FA Cup exit against Manchester United, and a Carling Cup semi final first leg defeat against Liverpool as well to boot, City really have only one focus now and that is winning the league. City of course have been depleted because of the impending Africa Cup of Nations, losing players to injury as well is really testing the squad strength of Mancini’s outfit. The main doubts ahead of the game at Wigan, is David Silva, who has been a vital cog in the Man City attack this season, his playmaking skills missed badly when he is out. Mario Balotelli picked up an ankle injury in Carling Cup semi final first leg, and is also a doubt for the big match. While City have picked up ten wins from ten in the league at home, their away form has become patchy and has allowed the race for the title to be kept open. City have failed to win in their last four away matches now, with draws at Liverpool and West Brom, along with defeats at Chelsea and Sunderland. So while their fluent home form is carrying them along, if they can rediscover the away from they showed up until that Chelsea defeat then they will be in a much stronger position. For their dip in form, they will be expected to pick up three points at Wigan, who are in terrible trouble at the foot of the league.

City have won five, drawn three and lost two on the road this season in the league. Their awesome firepower, which has stuttered a little bit lately, has fired in 25 away goals, but they have conceded 12 on their league travels. Clean sheets have been kept in just two of their ten away matches this season, but the main indicator of an away win in Wigan v Man City betting, is the vast difference in scoring power. Wigan boss Roberto Martinez keeps on fighting but with a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Man City this season already, and with terrible home form, three points are going to be tough to come by. Wigan have only managed to pick up just one home win this season, along with four draws and five defeats. They haven’t managed to pick up a win in their last five games, although there have been three draws in that sequence, one against Chelsea and one against Liverpool. So there is some fight leg in Wigan, but a terrible exit against Swindon in the FA Cup has really mounted the pressure at the club and confidence can’t be that high. Wigan are neither scoring enough, with just ten at home this season, nor are they tight enough at the back, having conceded twice as many as that. There just is not the firepower around at the club to really fire their way out of troubles, and so they have to scrap and hold out for goalless draws. That seems to be their best way forward at the moment. Wigan have not scored a goal against City in the last four meetings with them and have subsequently lost those four. Wigan have lost Mohamed Diame to the Africa Cup of Nations, while they should get Albert Crusat back into action on the wing after injury. So there are desperate times at the JJB for Martinez who has seen his side slip back down to the bottom of the league. They are already three points out of safety and another loss would really see them have to climb a very tall mountain to maintain their Premier League survival.

Wigan v Man City Betting Odds
Wigan to win: 17/2 at William Hill
Draw: 15/4 at VC Bet
Man City to win: 4/9 at Paddy Power

Online bookmaker Victor Chandler have their Double Up promotion running for this match, which could be well worth taking advantage of. Back a correct First Goalscorer bet in the match, and if that successful player goes on to net a second goal of the match at any time, Victor Chandler will pay you out at double your original First Goalscorer odds. That  means you take a look at Sergio Aguero as 18/5 favourite, or Edin Dzeko at 19/5 to open the scoring in the match. So you can take those strong bets and get a successful First Goalscorer bet doubled if they go on to a score a second goal in the match. So good coverage on your Goalscorer betting at Victor Chandler. The bookie will match the value of your first stake on a new account with a free bet up to the maximum value of £25. That gives a great introduction welcome bonus to get your started with your sports betting at the highly rated bookie.

Find the latest results, League Table, Top Scorer and more on our football statistics on online-betting.me.uk (just choose your country & your preferred topic)

Monday 26th December

English Premier League

Manchester United v Wigan

Manchester United have rediscovered their form in recent weeks so go into the Boxing Day clash with Wigan in high spirits despite trailing neighbours City by two points.

Sir Alex Ferguson was coming under pressure from a few quarters after his side’s Champions League elimination to Basle at the start of the month but he has been in similar situtations before and will have laughed off claims that this United side are not as good as one’s from recent history. Despite not being top at Christmas this year, United have actually accumulated more points compared to this stage last season. Wednesday’s 5-0 away win against Fulham was their second win in London in a three days after a comfortable 2-0 success at Loftus Road against QPR. The most pleasing aspect for Ferguson will have been the amount of chances they created in those games as well as the 4-1 over Wolves in their last home match. It was getting back to something like the form they showed at the beginning of the season when their attacking play was immense and they were scoring goals for fun. With back to back home matches in their last couple of games of 2011 against Wigan and Blackburn, it provides United with the perfect opportunity to boost their goal difference as it may well come down to that at the end of the season with the two Manchester clubs so evenly matched.

Wigan are coming to the end of a difficult run of fixtures after playing both Chelsea and Liverpool at the DW Stadium within the space of a week. They managed to get a draw out both of those games despite looking like second best for the majority of both games. A late leveller from Jordi Gomez against Chelsea last Saturday and a penalty save from Charlie Adam’s spot kick against Liverpool may prove to be vital come May. It’s so tight at the bottom of the table that every point counts and those two draws are as valuable as wins when you consider the opposition. Monday’s match may well be the most difficult of the lot with the form of United so Roberto Martinez has to get his players to take confidence from the two home games and use it when they go to Old Trafford. Currently still in the bottom three, any sort of result on Monday would be a massive bonus and would mean they had played three of the divison’s best sides and remained unbeaten. In order to get a result, however, Wigan must begin the game better than they did on Wednesday against Liverpool as they could have lost the game in the opening half hour if it wasn’t for their goalkeeper and their opponents being so wasteful infront of goal.

Wayne Rooney has scored in each of his last three games including an excellent strike in the comprehensive win against Fulham. His double against Wolves were his first goals since October and his first strikes in the league since September. The fact he has 13 goals to his name this season in league competition alone shows how prolific he wss in the early stage of the season. His return to form also proves how important he is to United’s attacking play so Ferguson, his team-mates and the supporters will be hoping that he can continue it over the course of the rest of the season.

Unsurprisingly Wigan have struggled to accumulate points on the road again this season with five defeats from their first eight matches on the road. Their two victories, however, came in their last two matches away from the DW Stadium against West Brom and Sunderland. They will definitely improve the morale of the team when they make the short trek to Manchester but they will also be under no illusions as to how difficult it will be. The last four games between the two clubs have yielded zero points for Wigan, zero goals for Wigan and a woeful 16 goals against.

No surprise to read that I think United will continue their dominance against a Wigan side they have never failed to win against and it will be a comfortable one at that.

My Selections: Manchester United (-2) to beat Wigan

Best odds available: 11/8 available with Boylesports

English Championship

Reading v Brighton

Reading will be aiming to continue their recent good form against a Brighton side who have lost their last two.

After losing Shane Long to West Brom at the start of the season, Reading found it difficult to get any sort of consistency to their game and it was obvious that the other players had not adjusted to both Long’s departure and the loss of captain Matt Mills who joined Leicester. Slowly but surely, however, the Royals are finding their best form at just the right time with the games coming thick and fast. Last week’s 1-0 win over Leeds at Elland Road was their fourth win from their last five and it means that they have climed the table in recent weeks and are just outside the play-off positions. Three defeats in 15 is good going considering the competitive nature of the Championship and the difference in recent weeks has been the conversion of draws into wins which of course, makes all the difference. The players will take most confidence from their last two wins against Leeds and West Ham as they are sides which are in and around them at the moment.

Brighton looked as though they had recovered from their indifferent spell after a great start to the season. Three straight wins got their season back on track and they were threatening the teams in the play-off zone but they followed that run up with two consecutive losses against Burnely and Middlesbrough, both by a solitary goal. Gus Poyet will not be too disheartened by those results considering the teams that did beat them were in good form and they were also closely fought encounters as well. He may be more worried by the fact that his players still continue to struggle infront of goal. The Seagulls have managed just six goals from their last 10 games so it’s evident where they need to improve. Their top scorer, record signing Craig Mackail-Smith, has just six goals in the league and has scored just one goals in his last 13 games for his club side.

With the goals of Shane Long, well, long gone, Reading have had to spread the goals around the team as opposed to relying on one man for the majority of their strikes. Adam Le Fondre has managed five, Simon Church has six and then it’s a case of a handful of players having two or three to their name, including Noel Hunt. It is noticeable, however, that Reading are not as potent infront of goal this term as compared to previous season when they had the likes of Long, Kevin Doyle and Dave Kitson.

Brighton have managed even less goals to date but they still remain dangerous and as the old saying goes, if you keep a clean sheet, you can’t lose. The story of Brighton’s season is that when they do keep a clean sheet, they normally win. Six of Brighton’s nine wins have came with clean sheets so they will be hoping they can keep Reading’s forwards out in order to aid their chances of coming away with a win which would put them ahead of their opponents.

I can see this match being particularly close as the sides are very evenly matched in terms of ability as well as their current league positions and records to date. Reading are in slightly better form going into the match but that can often count for nothing in this league. Brighton have lost three of their last four away form home in the league with their only win being against a Derby side who were in terrible form at the time. With that in mind, I am on the home team’s side to prevail – just!

My Selection: Reading to beat Brighton

Best odds available: 4/5 available with Betfred

English League One

Walsall v Sheffield Wednesday

Second top Sheffield Wednesday travel to Walsall hoping to keep the pressure on league leaders Charlton.

Walsall have been in and around the relegation places for much of the season and find themselves occupying the final position in the dropzone ahead of Wednesday’s vist – on Monday. Their recent form has been littered with draws, four in the last five to be precise. It’s a lot better than losing four of their last five but if teams close to them are getting the odd win it makes it so much harder to climb the table. Charlton visited in the middle of the month and could only manage a draw so although their fans will be hoping that they are converted into wins sooner rather than later, they will be delighted with the players’ desire and hardwork, especially against the better sides in the league. Manager Dean Smith will no doubt take heart from that performance as well when the Owl’s come to town and will be reminding his players that it will take the same level of performance if they wish to get anything out the match on Boxing Day.

Wednesday were involved in the game of the season in League One last Saturday against Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield. After going down 2-0 early on, Wednesday recovered and eventually took a 4-2 lead late on only to end up with the one point after Jordan Rhodes scored two late goals and rescued a point for their visitors. Gary Megson is not known for his side’s free flowing football so he will be disappointed that they not only failed to win, but also because they conceded four goals at home. That will be fresh in the mind for Megson and his defenders so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the away side adopt a slightly more conservative approach, especially early on against Walsall.

Walsall have still not won since October but for the reason’s mentioned earlier in this preview, the result of Monday’s match is certainly not a forgone conclusion. Jon Macken scored against Charlton as well as when these sides last met back in April so he’ll be closely monitored by the Wednesday defence and is the biggest threat for the home side.

Wednesday will again be without Gary Madine who is out with a broken toe but the four goals last week prove they are still very dangerous going forward. Nicky Weaver is expected to come into goal as Stephen Bywater has returned to his parent club after his loan spell. Wednesday have been in excellent form on the road of late with three straight league wins and four in all competitions.

Wednesday are in far better form than their Boxing Day hosts and I expect them to go one better than Charlton by taking all three points.

My Selection: Sheffield Wednesday to beat Walsall

Best odds available: 10/11 available with Totesport

Finally, I hope all readers have a very Merry Christmas. Let’s hope Boxing Day brings with it a few delayed presents.

Well the injury list is certainly mounting up for Sir Alex Ferguson over the Christmas period, as we head towards Manchester United v Wigan betting on Boxing Day. The Red Devils nearly lost highly touted Phil Jones to a long lay off with a jaw problem, but reports are that he is going to be fit for the Festive period. However, Ashley Young will definitely be out of action for a few weeks. With Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand on the sidelines already, along with Fabio, Anderson and Tom Cleverley, and of course Darren Fletcher’s absence from the game for a while the Red Devils are digging deeper into their squad. Still, they seem to have picked up their form very well after suffering that exit from the Champions League. It has given them a real jolt it appears to go after the defence of their title. After going through a patch where they were scarping through matches, they have started to turn up the heat a little bit more, getting much more clinical in the final third of the pitch. Still, they have the chance to keep up the pressure at the top of the Premier League on Manchester City, with a comfortable looking home game against Wigan on Boxing Day.

Nothing less than a United win will be expected in this Man Utd v Wigan betting fixture, however, Wigan have been battling and scrapping for points in their last two matches. After rescuing a late draw at home against Chelsea, Wigan held Liverpool at bay for another valuable point in their fight for survival this season. Wigan are still struggling and are still in a fight to avoid the drop, however, these last two matches will have given them some hope. It has been a tough run in the fixture list for Wigan, and while they won’t be expected to bring back anything from Old Trafford, their spirits at least must be high. Watching the way Manchester United tore about Fulham at Craven Cottage in the week though, and seeing United’s Wayne Rooney return to goal scoring form, there will also be a bit of trepidation and perhaps damage limitation to come as well on Boxing Day. Manchester United have rediscovered their scoring touch, so it seems and have fired in eleven goals in their last three matches in the league. The Red Devils are averaging just under 3 goals per game at home in the Premier League this season and are hungry to keep up their title defence.
Online bookmaker Paddy Power have a good promotion running for Manchester United v Wigan betting on Boxing Day. If there are five or more goals scored in the game at Old Trafford, then the bookie will pay out lost stake refunds on First Goalscorer, Last Goalscorer, Correct Score and Scorecast bets placed on the match. So if you are expecting another five goal haul from Manchester United as a Christmas gift, then your betting will be covered by the Paddy Power Money Back Special. In the First Goalscorer Market for example in Man Utd v Wigan betting, Wayne Rooney, who has now netted four goals in his last three league games is priced at 5/2 favourite, with Dimitar Berbatov behind him at 4/1. In the Correct Score Market a comfortable 2-0 home win fetches 5/1, while a 3-0 win is out a little bit at 6/1, but all great value, especially with the bit of betting insurance in place thanks to the Paddy Power Money Back Special.

Manchester United v Wigan Betting Odds at Paddy Power
Man Utd 1/6, Draw 6/1, Wigan 16/1

Highly rated online bookmaker Paddy Power offer a free £50 bet for new customers as a welcome bonus. New customers registering an account will get their first stake on that new account matched with a free bet, up to the maximum value of £50, giving the punter some nice free betting cash to enjoy at Paddy Power.

Will the trip up north for Andre Villas Boas in Wigan v Chelsea betting on Saturday, prove to be anything other than an easy three for the Blues boss? Chelsea have turned around their form in great style, becoming the first team to inflict defeat upon leaders Manchester City this season. That was after a spectacular show of force in their final Champions League match to book their place in the final sixteen. The Blues have tightened up their defence, and Andre Villas Boas has been sending out a settled side, and Chelsea will look for another three points to keep them in touch in the title race, and will be hoping to make up more ground over the weekend. Wigan have been struggling for most of the season, and are one of the favourites to take the dreaded relegation drop this season. There was a recent glimmer of hope, as Wigan fought back from a deficit against West Brom to claim all three points, but they still need to find a away to get out of the relegation zone and up into safety. A match against an in form and confident Chelsea is probably not the thing they want right now, especially with memories of the 6-0 defeat in this corresponding fixture last season hanging over them. But Chelsea have been vulnerable on the road this season, losing twice and that will give Wigan some hope and spirit that they can go out and cause an upset. Chelsea have adopted a more attacking style and they have shown vulnerabilities at the back. Can Wigan cause a huge upset? They’ve done it before against Chelsea, just a couple of seasons ago.

Online bookmaker Ladbrokes have a great Wigan v Chelsea Money Back Special promotion running for Saturday’s match. If Chelsea score firsts in the game, but fail to go on and win, then the bookie will refund all losing match bets placed on the game. This provides you a good bit of coverage in the case that Chelsea have a big slip up after taking the lead. Remember what happened to them in Genk in the Champions League? They blew that lead against inferior opposition.

Online bookmaker Ladbrokes offer a free £50 bet for new customers registering an account with them. New customers can receive a free bet up to that maximum value of £50, as the bookie will match the value of your first stake on a new account, up to that figure. It gives you some great free betting cash to get started with on your new account!

Wigan v Chelsea Betting Odds at Ladbrokes
Wigan 8/1, Draw 7/2, Chelsea 4/11

See our full Wigan v Chelsea betting preview here

Wigan v Chelsea Betting Tip & Odds: Well, the way things are going, everyone will be expecting Chelsea to run out as comfortable winner here and that is probably what will happen. It means that we can dip into the Asian Handicap betting market for this one and take a Chelsea -1.5 for a decent price of Evens with Paddy Power.

Wigan to win: 8/1 at Totesport
Draw: 15/4 at Bet365
Chelsea to win: 2/5 at SkyBet

 EPL Match Preview: Big points are at stake in this game on Saturday in the Premier League. Chelsea are still seven points adrift of leaders Man City in the title race, despite beating them on Monday night. Things are pretty tight in the top five at the moment and Chelsea really need to rock out a win in order to keep pace with those around them. The Blues go into the match on the back of a three game winning streak and look to be over their blip in form. They have tightened up at the back, and are looking more dangerous in front of goal. Which could be bad news for Wigan, who need points to try and draw themselves away from the relegation zone. There have been signs of a mini revival, especially spurred on by their comeback against West Brom last weekend. But Chelsea have scored more than twice the amount of goals that Wigan have this season, so will the home side be able to hold out and snatch a crucial win, or will Chelsea keep up the pressure on those around them in the title race, all of which play the following day on Sunday?

Wigan Form: The early season struggles of Wigan Athletic just look as if they maybe abating somewhat. After pulling out an important win over West Brom in their last Premier League match, Wigan have now lost just one of their last four matches. A stark turn around in form the previous four to that which saw them lose four in a row. Their small upturn in form has seen them claw their way off the bottom of the table, but they still have a lot of work to do, because they are still in 18^th spot and just three points from the bottom. They have been helped by the slides of Blackburn and Bolton of course, but now face a big test on their road to recovery as they host Chelsea. They will be looking for a big home support to try and get something out of this match against the title contenders. However, Wigan have won just once at home this season in the league, an early triumph over QPR, and they have picked up just two more points in their home endeavors thanks to two draws. While Wigan fans will be optimistic that their side is turning things around, their home form still reads four defeats out of their last five, with a 3-3 draw against fellow strugglers Blackburn breaking that sequence. Goal scoring is clearly the problem for Wigan, as they have managed just eight in their seven home matches so far, and averaging 1.14 goals per game at home, isn’t going to get you very far in a season. Not when you are conceding an average of double that amount per game anyway. Wigan have only kept one clean sheet at home this season, so obviously not great at the back. Interestingly the period of the fifteen minutes before half time is when Wigan are apparently at their most dangerous, as they have scored seven goals this season in that period, the same total as they have managed at all other times of their matches combined. Wigan have only scored first in 20% of their matches this season, and have only led at half time in one of their games. Really not much to write home about up front, with Di Santo and Gomez combining for seven goals on the season and that’s about it. In their last twelve matches, Wigan have conceded at least one goal, so their aren’t great omens for them in this match really. Could be another tough afternoon in their scrap for survival this season. Against other top opposition this season, Wigan have lost 3-0 against Man City and 4-0 recently against Arsenal.

Chelsea Form: Well, we have seen a definite upswing in Chelsea’s form too, so much so that boss Andre Villas Boas has felt vindicated enough to attack the press for writing him off. That may come back to bite him at some point, but regardless, Chelsea are looking in great shape at the moment. December is going to be hugely important for them, and with an easy win over Newcastle to start off the month, and then following that up with a massive 2-1 home win over leaders Manchester City, Chelsea look to be back on track. Villas Boas has stuck to his guns, tweaked the defensive tactics and hasn’t been afraid to go with a new look midfield, which seems to be working. Striker Didier Drogba coming back into his old hungry form hasn’t done any harm at all, but the Blues will lose him early next year to the African Cup of Nations, and with Nicolas Anelka already departing, Chelsea, will at some point have to rely on the contributions of Fernando Torres. Villas Boas has stated that the Spaniard is not for sale in January. Chelsea have suffered two defeats on the road this season, but have turned things around after winning their last two away trips. That has taken them to four wins and a draw away from home, along with those two defeats, which is a 57% win percentage outside of Stamford Bridge, which isn’t great, but could be worse. Chelsea have fired in 12 away goals this season, and have conceded just six, meaning that they are, on average, scoring twice as many as they are conceding away from. However, after struggling for so long this season to keep a clean sheet, the Blues have produced two in their last three, and have scored eight goals in their last three league games as well. So are definitely starting to click, helped out by Villas Boas sending out a settled side, no doubt. Chelsea have been at the most dangerous in front of goal in the last fifteen minutes of games, and have scored first in 60% of their matches, not as high as you may imagine. Frank Lampard and Daniel Sturridge both have seven goals each for the season, being joint top scorers for their club. 80% of Chelsea’s matches this season have ended over 2.5 goals.

Head to Head: The record stands firmly in favour of Chelsea in this head to head. Out of nine matches between the two sides at Wigan, Chelsea have won seven of them, and Wigan just twice. There have been no draws between them at Wigan, and the Blues have scored more than twice as many goals as Wigan have in this fixture. Chelsea average 2.56 goals in this fixture. Last season’s corresponding fixture ended in a 6-0 away win for Chelsea, but the home fixture before that in the previous season, resulted in a shock 3-1 win for Wigan. All in all though, Wigan have only beaten Chelsea three times out of seventeen encounters in total. The Blues look something of a sure bet.

Online Bookmaker Promotion: Online bookmaker SkyBet welcome all new customers who are registering an account, with a generous and totally free £10 bet. This is completely free and so easy to get! Just register a new SkyBet account and a Free £10 bet will automatically be credited to your new account, giving you some great free betting cash to get started with. That’s all that needs to happen, just register and have a crack at some risk free profit with that completely free £10 bet!

Saturday 24th September

English Premier League

Newcastle v Blackburn

Fresh from an entertaining victory over struggling Arsenal, Blackburn travel to the North East to try and halt Newcastle’s undefeated start to the season.

Alan Pardew was not a popular choice when replacing Chris Houghton last season but like all football fans, the Toon Army are fickle and it’s Chris Who these days as Pardew has led his troops to an early fourth placed position. Three draws and two wins from five matches have proven there is life after Joey Barton, Jose Enrique and Kevin Nolan who all moved on during the summer. Pardew has brought in several new players but the ethos behind his team remains the same – hard to beat. Draws away to Villa and QPR, their two most recent games, have not been pretty on the eye but they are precious away points and every team would like to be able to get them. Their two victories have also been hard fought and both by won by the odd goal so although they may be hard to beat, they can struggle to score goals as well and as of yet, have failed to replace Andy Carroll who left in January.

Blackburn were struggling early in the season, without a point in three, but they have picked up four points from their last two games and as mentioned in the opening line, secured a major coup in the defeat of Arsenal last weekend at Ewood Park in a seven goal thrilled. Obviously the main talking point after the game was about how Arsenal had capitulated in yet another game but credit must go to Rovers who have shown a willingness to attack and get at teams this season. Yakubu, making his home debut, notched two and he could prove to be a very shrewd acquisition for Steve Kean. Other new singings include Scott Dann and David Goodwillie who both come with big expectations. Rovers kept their good run going in midweek with a 3-2 win over Leyton Orient in the League cup, it was more comfortable than the scoreline suggests but it also kept the confidence up and was another chance for other players to get some game time and give the manager food for thought ahead of tomorrow’s trip to St James’ Park.

Newcastle have been strong at home since their return from the Championship in 2010. Pardew has looked to Leon Best and Shola Ameobi mainly in the search for a prolific goalscorer with Demba Ba having to do with a place on the bench alongside Peter Lovenkrands who scored twice against Nottingham Forest in midweek. With the loss of Kevin Nolan as well it meant losing a good 15 goals from midfield so the fact they have only managed to score four goals in their five matches is not a major surprise.

Blackburn have a terrible away record and it must improve for them to ensure they move away from the relegation zone. In eleven games on the road in 2011 they have won just once whilst losing six. In that run they have conceded 25 goals so it’s clear they must shore things up at the back in order to get more points away from home. With Dann alongside Chris Samba, you would expect them to be resolute and solid so time will tell if the new partnership can stop the leak.

Newcastle are not everybody’s cup of tea for a variety of reasons but this is the kind of match they have learned to win which is a good knack to have. I don’t think it will be pretty but I think the home side can just edge the contest.

My Selection: Newcastle to beat Blackburn

Best odds available: 10/11 available with Ladbrokes

English Premier League

Wigan v Tottenham
Wigan lost out to two late goals at Everton last Saturday whilst Spurs dominated a poor Liverpool side to record their second league win in a row and start their charge up the table.

Roberto Martinez must have thought that his players had done enough to leave Goodison with a point last weekend but it was not to be as the Toffees new boys struck late to keep all three points on Merseyside. It was Wigan’s second league defeat of the season but it is now three losses in a row when you take into account their loss to Crystal Palace in the league cup a fortnight ago. Their home record is decent with four points from a possible six including a 2-0 win over QPR at the end of August. After surviving the drop on the final day of last season Martinez may have hoped that with some new signings he could lead his side up the table and avoid another relegation battle but the signs are still there that they will struggle once again.

Tottenham started the season really poorly with heavy defeats to both Manchester clubs but it now looks as though they are coming together and starting to play like the have for the past two seasons under Harry Redknapp. A comfortable win away to Wolves was followed by an emphatic 4-0 defeat of big-spending Liverpool at White Hart Lane last Sunday. The visitors were reduced to 9 men by the end of the match but even before the sending off’s, Spurs were well in control and looked in the mood from the very first whistle. Tomorrow’s match is a big one as, depending on results, they can climb to as high as fourth. Of course, it is extremely early in the season to be worrying too much about league placings but it is a major boost to all concerned, especially after such a poor start.

Wigan will be without their star striker, Hugo Rodallega, who was injured in last Saturday’s defeat to Everton. It is not as bad as first feared but he will not be fit for tomorrow so it will be down to the likes of Franco Di Santo and Victor Moses who must now start proving their worth on a regular basis and get the goals that can lead their club to a higher position.

Spurs good form was hampered by a penalty shoot-out loss to Stoke in the League cup but it was a much changed side to the one who will turn out tomrrow. A key player in their resurgence has been Emmanuel Adebayor who is on a season’s long loan from Man City. The former Arsenal striker was not warmly welcomed by the Spurs faithful but it’s yet another case of fickle football fans as the big striker is now their favourite player after scoring three goals in two matches. He looks the type of player who will have a big say in most of the game’s he plays.

Spurs have an indifferent record away to Wigan really with just one win from their last four meetings at the DW Stadium. That win came two seasons ago whilst last years match ended in a draw. Wigan struggle to score goals at the best of times but with their top striker and best player not available, it makes things even harder. Spurs looked very good last week and I have every faith they can follow up again tomorrow.

My Selection: Tottenham to beat Wigan

Best price available: 19/20 available with PaddyPower

***Another preview will be available for Sunday’s football action***

The Club:
Wigan really need to break out of their mould of being Premier League strugglers. They have a very good manager at the held, a good talent developing system at the club, but they just need to pack their side with a few more stars in order to start pressing forward. Wigan could easily have been a mid table team last term if they had had the ability to close out games and not keep getting sucked into draws. There is a feeling that there is more to come from Wigan, but they are treading a thin line if they don’t invest in players. They are one a handful of Premier League this season which could really go either way. There is definite potential there at Wigan, but if it does not get fulfilled quickly, if the players can’t deliver what the manager wants, then something may have to give. Wigan Premier League betting has a large focus on them being relegated. Do they have more to offer from their ranks?

Players/Manager:
One of the strengths and assets that Wigan Athletic have is in their manager Roberto Martinez. There may be many a Latics fan who will disagree with this, but the Spaniard is a tactically smart man, and likes to get his team playing attractive football. The board seem to have a lot of faith in him, and that continuity should pay off in the end. Because of Wigan’s good ethics in developing players, it means that they are good targets for other clubs to come in and raid, and they have lost players during the summer. The on loan Tom Cleverley has made his way back to parent club Manchester United, and Wigan also sold Charles N’Zogbia off to Aston Villa. Hugo Rodellega is also heavily involved in the transfer rumour mill, as he wants against from the club to pursue bigger dreams of success. Wigan may also lose James McCarthy as well, as he attracted a lot of attention for his great work in the middle of the park. It seems as if this summer that it will be more about who Wigan can hold on to, rather than who they will be bringing in to make their side better. Martinez insists that he is pretty happy with the level of depth in his squad, but that can’t really be the case. He needs some good transfers coming in, if he is going to more than flirt with relegation again this season. They have secured the services of Ali Al Habsi, a keeper from Bolton, to a long term contract. He is the bright spark at the back for Wigan, whose defence does need a bit of fortifying. They also need to find some firepower up front as well. Not quite sure where it is all going to come from at the moment, so Martinez really may have to dig deep into his ranks. Still, the Wigan style won’t change, and it will be a matter of whether they can find a way to push forward or not.

Last Season:
It was a season of survival for Wigan Athletic last year, and they will want better this season. They were ok going forward and ok at the back, but they just couldn’t turn drawn games into wins. That was pretty much the only thing which let them down, as they played good football and made their opposition really have to work for points against them. There is always room for improvement of course, and that will only come with money.

2011/12 Wigan Athletic Premier League Betting Projection:
Well, for all of their faults in not being able to put games to bed, Wigan actually played some decent football last year. It may have been their own downfall, but they weren’t afraid to be expansive and try and play the right way under boss Roberto Martinez. Wigan were arguably the most accomplished footballing side of the teams who went down to the relegation wire last season. They pulled out the stops at the end of the season, going on a four match unbeaten run and winning their last two. It was perhaps their penchant for drawing matches which ultimately helped them out in the end, and in their fifteen drawn Premier League matches last season, it indicates that there is not too much wrong with the club. Yes, they do annually struggle against relegation, but they make life difficult for opposing teams, and you feel that they are not too far away from getting over that threshold of being a team which should be hovering around mid table. They are not quite the sum of all their parts yet, and that is the problem. There is nothing wrong with their approach to the game, it has just been a lack of quality in the personnel at the end of the day which has done Wigan Athletic in. Is there going to be a big change, a big swing away from those same symptoms this year? Unfortunately it may not be, not unless some serious cash is injected into filling out the squad with a few quality players. It is not going to take much, but Wigan could easily propel themselves forward. If they don’t invest then they will probably struggle. Relegation is likely to be a closely ran thing again this season, and Wigan need a strong, confident start to avoid getting sucked in all too easily again. They need to have more confidence in their own ability all season. Their first three games sees them face each of the newly promoted teams, so a huge chance to get off to a great start.

Finishing Position Wigan Athletic: Threat of Relegation

Premier League Relegation Odds:
2/1 at 888Sport

First Three Fixtures
August 13th: Wigan v Norwich
August 20th: Swansea v Wigan
August 27th: Wigan v QPR

BACK TO 2011/12 PREMIER LEAGUE BETTING GUIDE

Bolton v Wigan betting: Bolton got trounced in the Premier League by Chelsea at the beginning of the week, and they are in a downward spiral as far as form is concerned. They were pushing hard for a tip six place, and then it all came crashing down with four defeats in their last five matches, picking up just one point. They are going through a tough patch at the moment, and boss Owen Coyle needs something to turn that all around. A home tie in the FA Cup against lowly Wigan really should be just the tonic. Bolton aren’t the direct physical side they were known as being under Sam Allardyce, and Coyle has added a little control to their play, without taking away the physicality totally. This makes them a tough side to play on their day, but they haven’t been able to put anything together, and the Reebok Stadium has been a sombre place. They need to dig deeper than what they have, and get back to doing the good things which they were doing on their great run of corm. Their defence was woeful against Chelsea, it has to be said, but hopefully for the Bolton fans that will have been the last straw and problems will have been fixed. A bit of pressure off here from the toils of the Premier League, and Bolton are worth backing. Wigan are doing even worse at the moment, and are looking more and more likely to be embroiled in a tough relegation battle at the end of the season. They did show some grit when they held Bolton to a 1-1 draw at the beginning of January, but Wigan are not a confident side at all, and boss Roberto Martinez must be really sweating for his own survival at the moment. Wigan have just one win in their last eight matches now, and the draws which were keeping them afloat just about, look as if they are abandoning Wigan as well. They have been fighting all season and could be running out of steam very soon unless changes are made. Should be a comfortable, moral boosting win for Bolton.

Bolton to win: 8/11 at William Hill
Draw: 11/4 at Bet365
Wigan to win: 9/2 at BetFred

Outright FA Cup Winner Odds
Manchester United: 4/1 at Unibet
Arsenal: 5/1 at Unibet
Manchester City: 5/1 at BetFair
Chelsea: 6/1 at BetFred

Saturday 22^nd January

English Premier League

Arsenal v Wigan

Arsenal and Wigan met at the tail end of 2010 and they do so again tomorrow at the Emirates with the home side looking to strengthen their Championship winning charge.

Arsene Wenger fielded a much changed side when these sides met at the DW Stadium last month and paid the price as his side dropped two points from a winning position. It’s unlikely he’ll make the same mistake this time around as he looks to put pressure on Manchester United at the top of the table. Wenger will be heartened with the fact that he will be able to call on nearly all of his squad with Thomas Vermaelen the only absentee who would have started. This means that Robin Van Persie, Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Theo Walcott will be in attack for the home side. It’s a daunting challenge for anyone, especially a Wigan side who are currently in the drop zone. The Gunners have been upset a couple of times at home this season, most notably by Newcastle and West Brom, so will be looking to cement their credentials as contenders for the Premier League.

Wigan have drawn too many games this season and it’s proving costly as they have surrendered too many games from a winning position. Last week’s home match with Fulham was a perfect example as they held a lead for most of the game before succumbing to a late leveller. Roberto Martinez knows that his side needs to turn some of these points into three if they wish to stay in the division come next season. With it being so tight at the bottom, it will be the smallest of margins which will decide who stays up and who goes down. It could be argued that Wigan are set up to perform better on the road than at home with their one upfront, with only a couple of wins on the road, however, it really is time for them to simply start performing.

Arsenal have won four of their last five at home in the league with Manchester City the only side to leave with a point. They are heading into this match off the back of a confident 3-1 away win in the FA Cup when they disposed of Leeds United so are in good heart. Wigan will have to make history if they wish to leave the Emirates with anything on Saturday as they have been turned over on all four previous meetings with an aggregate score of 9-1.

Arsenal will have far too much firepower for Wigan in my opinion and it’s a question of how many as opposed to if they will win. There are several bets which catch my eye and all favour a comfortable home victory.

My selections: Robin Van Persie to score anytime at a best priced 5/6 available with Stan James

Arsenal (-2) to beat Wigan at a best priced 13/8 available with Paddy Power

Over 1.5 first half goals at a best priced 5/4 available with William Hill

English Championship

Barnsley v Swansea

Second placed Swansea travel North on Saturday to take on a Barnsley side who are once again residing in mid table obscurity.

Mark Robins has a selection headache ahead of him tomorrow as he will have to do without his two centre halves who were both sent off last Saturday whilst he also has to look to replace their top scorer and best player Adam Hammill who has moved on to Wolves. Working with such a small squad as it is, then you really feel for the Barnsley manager who has done a terrific job in the main. A club who have always had to play with limited resources as it is, the Tykes are looking to better last year’s finish of 18^th and points total of 54. Currently two places better off, they are on course to do so, but will need to replace the goals and industry of Hammill. They were enjoying a good run in the last couple of months of last year, however, they have begun to struggle of late and have won just once in their last six games. Overall, their home form has been pretty strong with seven wins and three draws from their 13 games played thus far at Oakwell. The only teams to leave there with all three points have been Burnley, Leicester and Cardiff City.

Swansea are enjoying an excellent season under Brendan Rodgers. The Swans are currently sitting in second place and on course to sustain a challenge for automatic promotion. Only three points off of league leaders QPR, the Welsh club have overtaken arch rivals Cardiff who held second spot for long spells in the first half of the season. They head into tomorrow’s match knowing that they can draw level on points with Rangers who do not play until Sunday. The current league leaders would have two games in hand, but it would be pressure all the same. Last week’s trouncing of Crystal Palace was their fourth clean sheet in the league in a row, so it’s no real surprise to learn that they are in the top three for least goals conceded, with only Millwall and Nottingham Forest boasting better defensive records. The other end of that scale, however, is the lack of goals scored. With just 34 goals for in 27 games, Swansea have the worst offensive record of anyone in the top eight. Rodgers has looked to rectify that by bringing in Luke Moore from West Brom who has vast experience at this level and has led the line well as a lone striker.

With Jason Shackell and Stephen Foster both missing for the visit of Swansea, after being sent off last Saturday, Robins will have to shuffle his pack. With Hammill moving on to the Premier League, a change of system may also be in place as the wide player provided a much needed link between midfield and striker. Gary O’Connor is a shrewd acquisition at this level but will need support tomorrow. The man who could provide it is James O’Brien. The wide players moved from Motherwell last summer and has impressed in the Championship.

Leon Britton has moved back to Swansea after only leaving last July and is included in the squad for tomorrow’s game. His inclusion will be another positive for the support as he was a real fans favourite before his departure. His combative and intelligent style of play suits Swansea’s system so it’s no surprise to see Rodgers snap him up.

Swansea’s price looks a little skinny at face value but when you consider the players that the home side will be missing and the form Swansea are currently in, it’s still a price worth taking – away win.

My selection: Swansea to beat Barnsley

Best odds available: 11/10 available with William Hill