BOLTON vs MK DONS
Saturday 16th November 1500hrs
Football – England – League One
Pick Bolton 0 Asian Handicap
Bookmaker Bet365
Odds: 1.85 (odds taken 13:03 GMT, 14 November )
Bolton Wanderers aiming to have a positive points total for the first time in League One this season, with Keith Hill’s side looking to close the gap on an MK Dons who have experienced a difficult start to the season and recently changed managers.
Bolton Prediction – Wanderers Close to Wiping Out Deduction
Bolton Wanderers might be sitting bottom of the League One table but there’s a genuine chance that the Lancashire club might avoid relegation this season despite currently having a points total of -2.
Having been handed a 12-point deduction at the beginning of the season and going close to being put out of business, the Trotters then began the campaign fielding several youth team players and the results were often pretty ugly as a result.
However, Keith Hill has now arrived at the Macron Stadium and the former Rochdale manager is confident that Bolton can achieve “The Great Escape”, with Wanderers currently fifteen points behind MK Dons and this is a chance to cut the gap on a team sitting in 21st place.
On Saturday 2 November, Bolton finally won their first home League One match of the campaign and it was an impressive victory over a Fleetwood Town who have been one of the best performing teams in the division this season.
Previously to this, there had been a midweek win at Bristol Rovers and there’s a genuine belief that the team can finish above at least three other teams in the division, while getting a positive points balance will be a huge psychological boost.
Bolton now have some good players within the squad. Daryl Murphy has been successful scoring goals at a higher level than League One and the experienced striker has found the net in his past two league matches.
The veteran forward was especially prolific at Ipswich Town and can lead the line successfully against MK Dons, while Chris O’Grady is another forward who has arrived recently and is ready to start making a positive impact in the quest for survival.
Jason Lowe and Luke Murphy have been with the club for a good deal longer and are now surrounded by players to give the team a fighting chance, with Bolton having made themselves hard to beat at home all season and only two teams have actually left with a maximum haul.
However, we can largely ignore some of the earlier results considering that Hill has now effectively rebuilt the squad and this match is highly important if Bolton are to reel in some of the teams who sit above them in the table.
MK Dons Prediction – Can Martin Improve Results at MK?
The Milton Keynes Dons landed promotion from League Two last season and it was done at the first time of asking following their previous relegation to the division, with Paul Tisdale leaving Exeter to take on the role and achieving his mission within the space of twelve months.
Tisdale was expected to build on this success this season and the early signs looked promising, with the team landing home wins over Shrewsbury and Lincoln City, while there was also an eye-catching win at Blackpool on 14 September which had the Dons in a lofty position.
However, that actually happened to be the last time that MK Dons tasted a victory in League One and the newly-promoted side have been spiralling down the table at a rate of knots, with Tisdale eventually being made to pay the price for some really bad results.
Owner Pete Winkelman decided to make a recent managerial change following a dismal 3-1 home reverse against fellow strugglers Tranmere Rovers, with that result meaning that the visitors have taken just one points from their past nine League One encounters.
Russell Martin has been installed as the latest manager at Stadium MK, with the former Norwich City defender tasked with trying to improve the fortunes of a team who currently look as though they are heading back to League Two at the end of the season.
It’s something of a gamble to appoint the 33-year-old who will have to roll his sleeves up and prepare for a relegation scrap and perhaps this game might come too early for Martin to start having an impact on a squad who are low on confidence.
Kieran Agard showed petulance to get himself sent off against Tranmere and had only scored two goals before that incident, with the team having won just one of their seven away games this season and we think they will struggle in this clash.
Key-Facts – Bolton vs MK Dons
- Bolton have won 3 of the last 4 games
- MK Dons have lost 6 of 7 away games
- MK Dons have lost past 5 matches
Betting Tips Verdict
It’s clear that a draw wouldn’t be a bad outcome for the Dons considering that they would effectively keep the gap between themselves and Bolton at 15 points, although the momentum appears to be with Wanderers at the moment.
We’re going for Bolton to win this clash and make things increasingly interesting at the foot of League One, while Martin figures out his best team although a lack of managerial experience could be a big problem for the Scot.
