Wigan

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

Wigan Athletic v Arsenal Betting Tip & Odds: Overall, Arsenal have a 78% win percentage against Wigan in all their matches. That’s eleven wins for the Gunners, one draw and just two for the Latics. Hard to see those records improving for Wigan to be honest, as they just aren’t good enough this season. Yes, they have had their moment, but Arsenal should be in high confidence after beating Chelsea, and Arsenal have goals in them, while Wigan are in the trouble that they are in simply because they cannot score. Realistically there is nothing to fear about taking Arsenal in a minus Asian Handicap, the only question is, how fresh will they be after their effort against Chelsea? Arsenal -1.75 Asian Handicap falls around the right mark, priced a 2-1 with Bet365

Wigan Athletic to win: 6/1 at SkyBet
Draw: 16/5 at Victor Chandler
Arsenal to win: 8/15 at Bet365

EPL Match Preview: Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger will be pleased with the way that his side responded after their most tepid display of the season had ended in defeat at Old Trafford. In a thrilling match, Arsenal, with their technical precision passing and finishing, punished a lackadaisical Chelsea back line, beating their London rivals 3-1. That was a huge boost for the Gunners, as it pulled them to within three points of leaders Manchester United. Clearly the wintery break suited Arsenal, who looked back to their fresh best, with Cesc Fabregas looking strong through the middle, and Robin Van Persie looking to have regained all of his match sharpness after a disjointed season. This means that Arsenal are getting better, and it has to be said, but at the moment, despite all their critics, they look to be the only team really capable of keeping pace with Manchester United at the moment. With Chelsea falling rapidly away, and Manchester City having played two matches more than both Arsenal and Manchester United, the Gunners have to keep the ball rolling. They look the most accomplished side in the title race, and now a trip to Wigan will need to see them show their battling, physical qualities as well as their passing abilities. The funny thing is, that this team in inherently more talented than their “Invincibles” who won the Premier League back in 2004 without suffering a single defeat, but they have their weaknesses.

For all of their pretty football, they can still get bullied out of matches. The Gunners go to Wigan without Cesc Fabregas, who picked up his fifth yellow card of the season against Chelsea, meaning that he sits this one out through suspension. Abou Diaby, who has missed most of the season, could be in line for a start, and that will immediately add a bit more grit into the Arsenal midfield. It is likely that Arsene Wenger will change up the starting eleven again, and this is where Arsenal may just prevail over the season. Out of all the squads challenging for the title, Arsenal’s is the best. Hands down, no contest. They can rest the likes of Van Persie and Fabregas and still bring in the quality of Andrei Arshavin and Marouane Chamakh. Neither Manchester United nor Chelsea have as much strength in depth. This is a big mental test for Arsenal too, as Wigan performed heroics in this fixture last year, coming back from 2-0 down to win 3-2. It was a match which put Arsenal out of the title race. Still, Arsenal will go into this as favourites, and one considerable stat to pay attention to for your football betting, is the fact that they have won seven of their eight matches against teams in the lower half of the table this year. Just one defeat in their last eight matches, puts Arsenal on good ground. You can pretty much bank on them to get on the score sheet in this one, against a Wigan side who are still stuck in the relegation zone.

It hasn’t been an easy ride for Wigan this year, as the quality simply is not there is the side. They did however score a huge victory over relegation bound Wolves on the weekends, and they will be boosted by the return of Hendry Thomas and Maynor Figueroa to the side. Wigan are badly struggling for goals this term, and their tally of just 15 makes them the lowest scoring team in the league. That is in contrast to Arsenal, who have hit over double of that amount in the same amount of games. It may not be all doom and gloom for Wigan though, who haven’t been beaten at home for five matches now. The last team to beat them at home was Manchester City back in September. Wigan are also undefeated in their last three matches now, but you still can’t see them turning over Arsenal. It really is unlikely to happen, with the Gunners winning eight of their ten league matches against Wigan. Wigan really have struggled against the Big Four in terms of results since becoming a Premier league team. The Latics will struggle again, as Arsenal are a very much improved away team this season. Of their six matches played at Wigan, Arsenal have won three of them.

Wigan Athletic v Arsenal Premier League Betting Statistics

Last 5 Head to Head
Wigan 3, Arsenal 2
Arsenal 4, Wigan 0
Wigan 1, Arsenal 4
Arsenal 1, Wigan 0
Wigan 0, Arsenal 0

Wigan Athletic have an 22% win percentage at home in the league this season
Arsenal have a 56% win percentage away from home in the league this season

Wigan Athletic are on a streak of 5 home matches with no defeat
Arsenal are on a streak of six away matches with no draw

Wigan Athletic have scored 8 goals, and conceded 17 at home
Arsenal have scored 15 and conceded 19 goals in their away matches

Wigan Athletic average 0.88 goals per match at home this season
Arsenal average 1.66 goals per match away from home this season

In the last three meetings, there have been five goals scored in the 89th minute or later

Wigan Athletic 2010/11 top scorer: Rodellega, 5
Arsenal 2010/11 top scorer: Nasri, 8

Wigan Athletic 2010/11 Season Form: P18 W4 D7 L7 GF15 GA29 Pts 19 (18th)
Arsenal 2010/11 Season Form: P18 W11 D2 L5 GF37 GA20 Pts35 (3rd)

Arsenal v Wigan Athletic Betting Tip & Odds: Home win without much shadow of a doubt really. Yes, Arsenal have had some uncharacteristic slip ups at home this season, but they are still a quality side. They showed a lot of mettle in beating Aston Villa on the weekend after some poor defeats, and they have the creativity to create hatfuls of goals. This could turn into something of a goal-fest again, as the Wigan defence is unlikely to be able to match the flair and quality of Arsenal. Arsenal to win by 2 goals: 16/5 at 888Sport

Arsenal to win: 2/7 at Totesport
Draw: 5/1 at SkyBet
Wigan Athletic to win: 14/1 at Victor Chandler

Carling Cup Match Preview: The Carling Cup quarter finals are upon us, and for Arsenal, they represent a great chance of ending a barren spell of silverware. Although the Gunners have, to many people’s surprise, lost their last two home games in the Premier League, there appears to be little chance of an upset here in the Carling Cup, against a Wigan side who are struggling to find form of their own. Arsenal bounced back from a bruising week in the Premier and Champions Leagues with a 4-2 away win at Aston Villa on the weekend, in a performance which was typically brave and attacking from the Gunners. That was without Cesc Fabregas and Robin Van Persie, but the latter could well be in line for an appearance. His return to the side would make a nice problem for Wenger, as fellow forwards Marouane Chamakh and Samir Nasri really are in excellent form at the moment. Arsenal will still be without the services of Cesc Fabregas for the visit of Wigan, but that really shouldn’t affect their chances of reaching the semi finals of the competition too much.

What Arsene Wenger has done this year, is buck the trend a little bit and fielded stronger sides in the Carling Cup that he has historically done. Usually this competition was used to give the young Gunners a first team run out, but not this season. This is how important it is for Arsenal to get some silverware into the club. For one of the best teams in England, and one of the best footballing teams around, it would really be deserving. Arsenal have seen off Newcastle and Tottenham in the competition so far, and have been pretty emphatic in the goal scoring charts. That is the power that Arsenal have, and it is one which should, more often than not, see them through. Arsenal have a 100% record at home against Wigan in all competitions, and have outscored their opponents 18 goals to four in their seven matches played at Arsenal. Wigan have only won twice in eleven matches, with one draw, so that shows the class and dominance that Arsenal have over Wigan, and that is exactly where your betting should go. Arsenal are strong favourites, so shop around in some of the alternative sub market betting for the Arsenal v Wigan Carling Cup match. It will probably serve you better in terms of odds.

For Wigan, it has been a season of struggles under Roberto Martinez, who have really struggled away from home this season. Fighting in the relegation zone in the Premier League, the Carling Cup could be their silver lining, having beaten Hartlepool, Preston and Swansea along the way. However, Wigan have one only once on the road in the Premier League this year, and their last four trips away have all ended in defeat. With a shaky defence on show, the last place a team wants to go to is the Emirates Stadium. But there is some interesting little bits of history between the two clubs, as Wigan knocked out Arsenal on their way to the Carling Cup final back in 2006, winning the tie on away goals. The sides also clashed last year in the tournament, with Arsenal running out easy 3-0 winners. When Wigan went to Arsenal last season in the league, Arsenal ran out 4-0 winners, and the time before that Arsenal won 3-0, so the Gunners have enjoyed plenty of success against the Latics. There doesn’t appear to much going for Wigan in this one. This is a third in the league placed team against third from bottom placed team. With Wigan only winning one of their last eight matches, there really is only one apparent outcome on the cards.

Last 5 Head to Head
Wigan 3, Arsenal 2
Arsenal 4, Wigan 0
Wigan 1, Arsenal 4
Arsenal 1, Wigan 0
Arsenal 3, Wigan 0

A Football Betting Guide to Wigan  (Back to Football Betting Guide Intro) Online Bookmaker Free Bet Promotion: Ladbrokes, who are one of the most famous and trusted UK high street bookmakers, offer a free £10 bet on new accounts. The online bookmaker will match your first bet on a new account up to that value, giving you a nice little bonus with which to do your football betting. Along with a fresh new look to their website, Ladbrokes are very good for betting odds and football promotions and could be great to follow for Wigan betting as look to struggle against relegation. Football Betting Prediction: Relegation Battle Premier League Start: Wigan 0, Blackpool 4 The Strengths: Wigan betting may lean towards them getting relegated, but there are strengths about them to ponder. You look at Wigan and their performance from last year, and it is hard to find many strengths. But let’s start up the top with boss Roberto Martinez. For a team who narrowly avoids relegation, you would think the manager would be a weakness somehow. Certainly not in this case, and here is why. Trounced 9-1 by Spurs and 8-0 by Chelsea on the final day of the season, and yet Wigan managed to stay up. There had always been an exciting kind of buzz about Wigan, largely because young manager Roberto Martinez (who was excellent as a pundit on ESPN for the 2010 World Cup incidentally) brought a fresh new style to the Premier League. He had a team which wanted to play football on the deck, a team which wanted to pass and move and not get bogged down into too much of the physical English game. It went swimmingly at first, but the rails really came off last year, as they amassed only nine wins all season. But Martinez didn’t abandon his style of play, there players just never delivered with any kind of consistency. Although his job will probably be on the line if Wigan get off to a bad start, the best thing they could do is back up Martinez fully and trust their future to him. The Weaknesses: They just never competed from the off last season, and Martinez has had to somehow re-enforce the holes that were so glaring in defence last season. Paraguay World Cup star Antolin Alcaraz comes into the back line and that should help. There was a lack of quality around Wigan last year, and does Martinez really have the funds to get them out of the hole they dug so deep last year? He’s trying but it really doesn’t look as if there will be, and they could be fighting a relegation battle unless they spend. Based on their opening day performance, they may need a miracle. They need some extra fire power up front, and grit in defence. Is Martinez to blame for this, as it is his players who have been brought in? Is he not getting his message across? Or are the players to blame, not being able to deliver a passing game of football. Either way, there is a crack somewhere in the set up. Will they survive with weaker teams like West Brom and Blackpool coming up? Will their Premier League experience help them to survive? Wigan Betting Home: Naturally Wigan are going to pick up more points at home than away. It’s probably not going to be a great deal, but last season they only managed 32% win percentage, which is somewhere around the average for most team records away from home in the lower half of the table. Six wins and seven draws secured their survival really, and they need to find confidence right from the start of the season. Remember, they did beat Chelsea at home last season, and that was coming off the back of a 4-0 thrashing by Arsenal. Maybe it was all a matter of untapped potential last year. Wigan Betting Away: Terrible last season. Just three wins for a 16% win percentage away from home. Fourteen away defeats paints a pretty miserable picture, and they finished just six points above the drop zone. This is a team which conceded 55 away goals last year, at a rate of 2.89 average goals per game. Really, with those kind of stats, all that Wigan are good for is betting against them. The way they have started this year, they will have a lot of trouble trying to avoid relegation. Wigan Best Football Betting Stat: Second half team. A lot of the action in Wigan matches last season game in the second half. 62.2% of all Wigan’s goals were scored in the second half, while 69.6% of goals conceded by them came in the second half. Wigan Best Football Betting Odds Wigan Relegation: Evens at Stan James Season Points Under 33: 5/4 at Victor Chandler Top Goalscorer: Hugo Rodallega: 11/8 at Victor Chandler Mauro Boselli: 11/8 at Victor Chandler

More betting information:
On line Betting

Wigan v Chelsea Betting Odds

Wigan to win: 14/1 at Bet365
Draw: 5/1 at SkyBet
Chelsea to win: 1/4 at Ladbrokes

Online Bookmaker Promotion: Bet365 are currently offering up to £200 in free bets for new account holders. Bet365 are one of the most popular online bookmakers available, and they offer 0-0 Bore Draw refunds on their football matches. If your match ends in a 0-0 draw and you have placed a lost bet on any Correct Score, Half-Time/Full-Time or Scorecast market for that match, then you will get a free bet in return with Bet365.

Premier League Betting Statistics

Last 5 Head to Head
Chelsea 8, Wigan 0
Wigan 3, Chelsea 1
Chelsea 2, Wigan 1
Wigan 0, Chelsea 1
Chelsea 1, Wigan 1

• Wigan had a 31.6% win percentage at home in the league last season
• Chelsea had a 52.6 win percentage away from home in the league last season
•  
• Wigan scored 19 goals, and conceded 24 at home
• Chelsea scored 35 and conceded 18 goals in their away matches
•  
• Wigan scored the bulk of their goals in the 61-75 minute bracket
• Chelsea scored the majority of their goals in the 76-90 minute bracket
•  
• Wigan opened the scoring in 44.74% of their matches
• Chelsea scored first in 73.68% of their matches
•  
• Wigan 2010/11 top scorer: N/A
• Chelsea 2010/11 top scorer: Didier Drogba (3)
•  
• Wigan injuries: n/a
• Chelsea injuries: Alex, Jose Bosingwa
•  
• Wigan 2010/11 Season Form: L
• Chelsea 2010/11 Season Form: W

Wigan v Chelsea Betting and Match Preview:

Is this one as much of an away win banker in your football betting as it first looks? Certainly Chelsea are the major powerhouse in the Premier League as they start the season as defending Champions, but on the road last season they lost five matches, and one of them was a 3-1 loss against Wigan. That was a huge surprise in something of a topsy-turvy season for most clubs in the Barclays Premier league, but Chelsea of course redressed the balance on the final day of the season, when they hammered the hapless Wigan 8-0 at Stamford Bridge. This looks a stronger bet this time around for Chelsea to win, but it will be the first tricky test of the new season for them. Naturally they will start the match as strong favourites in the football betting, and not only because the Blues are so strong under Carlo Ancelotti, Wigan adversely, seem to be going backwards under Roberto Martinez. This puts the ball firmly in the court of the Premier League Champions, and no doubt betting will lean towards a comfortable and perhaps hefty victory for the Stamford Bridge crew. What can Wigan realistically get out of this match? A draw would be a step in the right direction after a howler on the opening day, and Martinez needs to use last season’s home win over Chelsea as a rallying point and perhaps mark them turning the corner. Betting should go towards a Chelsea win, which won’t bring wonderful odds on an outright bet, so play the Asian Handicap game with Wigan in the plus. That way, if the unexpected happens and Wigan do shut up shop for a draw, you will get more coverage and probably better odds.

Wigan v Chelsea Betting Tip: Chelsea to win by 2 Goals for 3/1 at Bet365

Wigan Betting:

Poor Wigan have a lot of problems as they seem to be losing their grip on life in the Premier League. Roberto Martinez is an exciting manager who has promised a lot, but the players he has at the club just don’t seem to work into his way of thinking any more. That maybe down to him, or that maybe down to lack of funds in getting the types of players he wants into the club to move them forward. The 4-0 home defeat on the opening day against Premier League newcomers Blackpool will be an extremely bitter pill to swallow. There is much work to do in order to try and turn it around, but with the next game against such a strong side in Chelsea, the task is not being made much easier. But on the positive side, should they pull off another miraculous home result like they did last season, then it could just be the fillip that Martinez has been looking for. Nothing brings confidence like beating the Premier League Champions. In all honesty, the 8-0 thrashing at Stamford Bridge showed a complete gulf in class between the two teams, and Chelsea have the ability to turn on the afterburners away from home as well. Perhaps keeping the score respectable will be a pointer for your Wigan betting on this one, and the best they could hope for is to salvage a draw. On the whole it looks unlikely though, with not enough class on the pitch to contain a strong Chelsea side. The longer they keep things tight, the more frustrated Chelsea will be, and Wigan will need to use long balls as their most dangerous weapon. It could be another torrid afternoon for Wigan and their fans, and your football betting should reflect that by leaning towards a Chelsea win.

Chelsea Betting:

Anytime Goalscorer bets are always worth a punt, and naturally with Chelsea you look towards Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda who is starting to come into his own as just as much of an influential player. Chelsea don’t really change much in their system when they go away from home, as coach Carlo Ancelotti likes his consistency, and that is why you won’t see major changes in the side unless injuries occur. Realistically as a football betting tip, Chelsea should be a good couple of goals better than Wigan, but in their last three visits to Wigan, they haven’t managed more than two goals in any of the appearances. That is something to bear in mind for your football betting strategy on this one. A two goal winning margin for Chelsea would probably bring home the bacon, because, as mentioned above the void between the two sides seem to be growing at the moment. Chelsea really had to scrap and grind out some away results last season, but in this early part of the new proceedings, players should be a lot fresher, and if you count the 8-0 drubbing of Saturday’s opponents at the end of last season, that’s fourteen goals in two Premier League games for Chelsea. Can Wigan live with that at all? Absolutely not. Anything can happen on the day of course, but you have to look at averages and statistics when making your football bets, and everything points to Chelsea maintaining a 100% record at the start of the new season. However comfortable or uncomfortable it may be, it should be three points in the bag for Chelsea.

Wigan v Chelsea Football Betting Prediction: Away win

Well its back! The football season really kicks into action this weekend with the return of both the English Premier League and the SPL. After a slightly underwhelming World Cup in South Africa now a mere afterthought, we can look forward to 10 months worth of drama, disappointments and hopefully delirium on the betting front.

Saturday 14^th August

English Premier League

Wigan v Blackpool

Our first port of call takes us to the DW Stadium where Premier League new boys Blackpool are the visitors in a fixture which should have taken place at Bloomfield Road but for reconstruction work.

Roberto Martinez achieved his mandate last season by keeping his Wigan charges in the league in an acceptable first year as manager. Survival will once again be the main target this season for the club but seeing as though Martinez has always been one of the games optimist, he will be hoping to surprise a few by avoiding a relegation battle this season. He’s been relatively busy this summer with the arrivals of 5 new players including £6m for Mauro Boselli who has been signed to solve their lack of goals. He will join Hugo Rodallega upfront in what looks a pretty decent strike partnership. They will have to do without Gary Caldwell for the foreseeable future after the Scottish defender had two hip operations over the summer. It will be a new look defence for Wigan as Titus Bramble has departed so expect to see new signings Antolin Alcaraz and Ronnie Stam make their debuts tomorrow afternoon.

Ian Holloway would no doubt have been very frustrated for much of the summer being unable to add to his squad the way he would have liked. He only signed one player up until this week where he landed 5 new signings. The most recognisable one for British readers would be Marlon Harewood. The former West Ham striker was on a free after being released from his Aston Villa contract at the end of last season. He’s expected to go straight into the squad to face Wigan and may even start due to the lack of senior strikers available at the club. Holloway is still on the look for new arrivals as he believes his squad to be weaker than the one that gained promotion due to the loan returns of Seamus Coleman and DJ Campbell. Both were stand-outs during the playoffs and will be missed by the Seasiders. One player that will be playing tomorrow is Charlie Adam. The Scot excelled in the Championship and he has stayed to lead out his side in their first Premier League match. If Blackpool are to do anything this season, he’ll be the man at the centre of it all.

Wigan are now an established Premier League side as they face their 6 successive season in England top’s flight. Despite being a very unfashionable club, they’re resilient and I can see them getting off to a winning start tomorrow. Charles N’Zogbia is still at the club and his undoubted talent should see him start tomorrow to provide that extra bit of class. James McCarthy will also be expected to perform at a consistently high level after an up and down debut season. The teenager exudes confidence and he can be a big player starting tomorrow.

Blackpool will have days in the sun during their debut season but I think this game will come too soon for a lot of their players as they seem behind in their preparations. Wigan have had a decent pre-season but most importantly, they’re experienced and Martinez is a shrewd character.

My selection: Wigan to beat Blackpool

Best odds available: 5/6 available several firms including with William Hill

English League One

Bournemouth v Peterborough

Dropping down the leagues for our next preview as we visit Dean Court for a battle of two sides who were separated by two leagues last season – Promoted Bournemouth host relegated Peterborough.

Bournemouth exceeded all expectations last season by gaining promotion despite having such a small squad. Manager Eddie Howe worked wonders and he will be desperate to show that last season was not just a flash in the pan. They had a difficult first match in League 1 last week away to Charlton, they done pretty well but eventually lost out by a single goal. They followed this up midweek with a 2-0 reverse in the League cup away to Southampton. Howe will not be panicking yet, nowhere near it, but at the same time, he’ll also know that the longer it goes without scoring a goal and gaining points, the harder it becomes.

Peterborough did not do themselves justice last season in the Championship. Darren Ferguson was one of 3 managers to ultimately fail to keep the side up in the 2^nd tier of English football. Last season, however, is behind them and they are now under new stewardship in the shape of Gary Johnson. The acquisition of the former Bristol City manager was a real coup and having already won promotion from this division previously, he knows what it’s all about. He has managed to keep the likes of Joe Lewis, Aaron McLean and George Boyd which has been very important, whilst also adding a couple of decent players, most notably Grant McCann from Scunthorpe.

Bournemouth were very strong last season, especially at home, but this is a massive step up as they are playing one of the promotion favourites. They’ve equipped themselves well thus far and still look hard to beat. With Brett Pittman upfront, they have a striker that is always liable to nick a goal so will be threatening. Peterborough, however, look irresistible at the moment after scoring 7 goals in their opening two matches. They followed last Saturday’s 3-0 league win at home to Bristol Rovers with a 4-1 cup victory against Rotherham. This will be their first away game but they have a lot more quality than their hosts and players who have thrived at this level beforehand.

I expect the likes of Boyd and McLean (if fit), to be too powerful for Howe’s Bournemouth. I think the Cherries will stay in this division but this will be one of their more difficult fixtures they face, as the fresh, grassy pitches will suit the Posh’s quick, passing game.

My selection: Peterborough to beat Bournemouth

Best odds available: 7/5 available with several bookmakers including Betfred

Which three teams will go down from the top flight this season? No side will be contemplating the possibility of relegation nine months down the line, although there will be three sets of supporters weeping on the terraces come May and the bookmakers are expecting a wide open contest.

Indeed, it was unusual that all Premier League relegation matters were decided before the final round of fixtures last season, with Hull, Burnley and Portsmouth already figuring out the route to Scunthorpe and Doncaster. Blackpool would probably be happy to have a chance of staying up on the final day of the season, with the Tangerines no bigger than 3/10 (Paddy Power) to return from whence they came.

It will be interesting to see how Ian Holloway approaches the top flight matches from a tactical point of view. The seaside club got themselves promoted by playing an attacking brand of football, although the Premier League is an unforgiving division and there needs to be a big improvement defensively.

The same applies to West Brom, who continue to entertain supporters with their style of play, although Roberto Di Matteo will be figuring out how to win ugly in the Premier League. The Midlands club will not be spending big money to stay in the top flight and have truly become a yo-yo club which makes Ladbrokes’ even money about them being relegated an interesting prospect.

Newcastle are the third of the promoted clubs and the Magpies are as big as 7/2 (Sky Bet) to drop back down to the Championship, something which happened two seasons ago. Lessons should have been learnt from that disastrous campaign and the signing of Dan Gosling hints at a brighter future for the well-supported north-east club.

At the time of writing, the two teams that look the best value to be relegated are Wigan (9/4 Victor Chandler) and Fulham (8/1 bet365). The Latics have been treading water in the top flight for the past couple of seasons and a lack of support means that money is scarce to buy new players. The loss of Titus Bramble to Sunderland might be more significant than people think and Roberto Martinez’s adventurous tactics might ultimately prove to be the team’s downfall.

As for the Cottagers, seeing them relegated under Roy Hodgson might have been an unthinkable prospect although they are now desperately seeking a new manager and somebody has some pretty big shoes to fill. It will be interesting to see whether Brede Hangeland, Bobby Zamora and Mark Schwarzer stay at Craven Cottage now that Hodgson has left, especially as Arsenal are reported to be interested in the latter.

There are plenty of other teams trading at single figure odds on the Premier League relegation market and Wolves might not get away with scoring so few goals this time around. Mick McCarthy relies heavily on Kevin Doyle to hold the ball up and punters can get 9/4 with bet365 that Wanderers go down. Their west Midlands rivals Birmingham (7/1 Sporting Bet) should be more comfortable thanks to a solid defence and some money in the coffers if needed.

Chelsea suffer injuries while Manchester City continue to spend

Premier League Champions Chelsea may have to go into the start of the new season without the services of their number one keeper Petr Cech. This may include Chelsea’s match against Manchester United on August 8th for the Community Shield at Wembley, and could effect football betting at the start of the new season. The star goalkeeper tore his calf muscle in training and will now miss about a month of action. Chelsea still have veteran backup Henrique Hilario to call upon, and it will be him or Ross Turnbull. They will also be missing defender Alex who will be out for a month because of a thigh injury picked up in training. Chelsea are 1/2 at Skybet to win a Major Trophy in the new season, and 13/8 at Coral to win the Premier League. For them to do the double again, you can get them at 12/1 at BetFred to win both Premier League and FA Cup. Chelsea are also awaiting the full fitness of new signing Yossi Benayoun who has a groin problem. Chelsea have three friendly matches before the Community Shield, one against Ajax on Friday, then Wycombe next week, followed by a visit to Entracht Frankfurt. Speaking of Ajax, manager Martin Jol has had a change of mind, and has opted to stay at the Dutch side apparently. The former Spurs boss looked all but set to move into the hot seat at Craven Cottage, which was vacated by Roy Hodgson, but things have taken a different turn. Firstly Jol was reportedly unhappy that the Dutch club, who finished second in the league last year, were not backing his requests to dip into the transfer market to strengthen the squad. But the whole move to Fulham has now been blocked because an exit clause in Jol’s contract with Ajax is apparently no longer valid, and as Ajax want him to stay, that is what Jol will do. This leaves Fulham in a very awkward position with the new season of the Premier League right on the horizon. They now need to look elsewhere on their shortlist to fill the vacant spot. A whole host of names have been linked with the job, from Dave Jones to Sven Goran Eriksson. Here is a new look at the race to become Fulham’s new boss, after it was taken off the market at online bookmakers on Monday, with the news that Jol was going there.

Next Permanent Fulham Boss Betting Odds
Sven Goran Eriksson – 9/4 at Paddy Power
Dave Jones: 9/2 at Bet365
Mark Hughes: 13/2 at William Hill
Alan Curbishley: 8/1 at Bet365
Gianfranco Zola: 14/1 at Victor Chandler
Ray Lewington: 16/1 at Bet365
Bob Bradley: 20/1 at Bet365

Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill has stated that he will sell England midfielder James Milner if the price is right. Not surprisingly, it has been big spending Manchester City who have been going after Milner, already having had one offer turned down. If Milner is going anywhere then it will likely be Eastlands, as no-one else at the top of the Premier League is really spending that much money, and he could follow his former team mate Gareth Barry up north. The first bid from City was around the £20 million mark, but City boss Roberto Mancini doesn’t want to be held to ransom, just because his is prepared to sell. Villa may look to West Ham’s Scott Parker who had an impressive season for the London club, but the Hammers aren’t ready to part company with him. Manchester City, who are in the States as part of their preparations for the new season, have been dipping into their pockets already to build their squad. Man City are 1/3 at BetFred to win No Trophies this season and 6/4 at SkyBet to win Any Major Trophy. They are stretched out at 9/2 at Coral to win the Premier League. Manchester City are apparently not afraid to speculate to accumulate. As well as looking to secure the final transfer details of Lazio’s Serbian full back Aleksander Kolarov, there have been whispers about them making a bit for Brazil’s defensive midfielder Ramires (although Chelsea have keen interest in him too). City have already signed Germany’s Jerome Boateng along with Yaya Toure and Spain’s forward David Silva. Roberto Mancini’s shopping list is quite long apparently, as he is also interested in Landon Donovan and Italy forward Mario Balotelli. Balotelli’s named is being linked with just about everyone, including Chelsea. The 19 year old Inter Milan striker wasn’t on great terms with former boss Jose Mourinho, and that has led to a lot of interest for the raw talent who has huge potential.

James Milner club after summer transfer window:
Man City: 1/9 at SkyBet
Chelsea: 7/1 at SkyBet
Liverpool: 20/1 at SkyBet
To Stay At Villa: 17/11 at BetFair

Mario Balotelli club after summer transfer window:
Man City: 1/20 at SkyBet
Chelsea: 16/1 at SkyBet
Man Utd: 25/1 at SkyBet

There are more transfer speculations going through the rumour mill, with Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp, who fully expected Joe Cole to be at White Hart Lane next season, apparently interested in Manchester City’s Craig Belamy and Real Madrid’s Spanish goal scoring legend Raul. Spurs are looking forward to their first taste of Champions League football after finishing fourth in the Premier League last season, and Redknapp wants to add a couple of players to his squad to ensure that they come through their qualifier and reach the Group Stages of the lucrative tournament. Joe Cole’s new club Liverpool are not going to be far from the headlines over the summer, as Roy Hodgson tries to see what he can do to reshape the squad. Hodgson in 4/1 at Ladbrokes to win the Premier League with Liverpool, showing what an uphill task he has. Along with Cole he has brought in midfielder Milan Jovanovic, and has just signed Rangers’ young defender Danny Wilson. After letting players walk already, Hodgson is keen to fill the vacant left back spot with Manchetser City’s Wayne Bridge as well as being in a bidding war with West Ham over Nice striker Loic Remy. The position of strikers is one which is still up in the air for Hogdson, as World Cup winner Fernando Torres doesn’t seem ready to fully commit his future to Liverpool. That is not leaving Hogdson with much in the way of forward power if Torres does decide to leave, admitting that he is having to hang on to the much maligned David Ngog because of a shortage. Not really wanting to sell either Torres or Gerrard to fund the rebuilding of a new squad, Hodgson will probably let Argentinean midfielder Javier Mascherano go to Inter Milan to join up with former boss Rafa Benitez.

Fernando Torres club after summer transfer window:
Man City: 13/8 at SkyBet
Chelsea: 7/4 at SkyBet
Barcelona: 9/2 at SkyBet
Man Utd: 12/1 at SkyBet
Real Madrid: 16/1 at SkyBet
Still at Liverpool at start of season: 1/5 at Paddy Power

The curious transfer case of Everton’s Under 21 midfielder Dan Gosling has been settled. Everton made a little administration error in forgetting to offer him a written contract offer. They had put forth a verbal one, but as there was nothing in writing, Gosling was free to leave Goodison Park. Premier League newcomers Newcastle have benefited from that, as they have snapped up the exciting youngster on a four year contract. This is just the type of bargain that boss Chris Hughton has been looking for, as he tries to secure life back in England’s top flight for the Toon Army. Newcastle are 1/5 at Paddy Power to avoid relegation at the end of the 2010/11 season and an interesting 4/7 at Paddy Power to beat any of the Big four at home in the league. Chris Hughton is 11/10 at Paddy Power to be sacked before the end of the season though. Wigan have added Paraguay’s impressive defender Antolin Alcaraz to their squad, after the South American was granted a work permit. Wigan need to tighten up at the back this year, after shipping hatfuls of goals, including the final day 8-0 thrashing by Champions Chelsea.

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