Blackpool host play-off chasing Bolton Wanderers at Bloomfield Road in this crucial League One fixture on Saturday afternoon.
League One
Our Three Predictions For Blackpool vs Bolton Wanderers
- First Prediction: Bolton Wanderers – Draw No Bet – 19/20
- Second Prediction: Both Teams To Score – 57/100
- Third Prediction: Over 2.5 Goals – 18/25
First Prediction For Blackpool vs Bolton Wanderers – Bolton Wanderers – Draw No Bet – 19/20
Both teams are still harbouring play-off ambitions as we reach the business end of the season, albeit Blackpool’s hopes are clinging by a thread. Steve Bruce’s side have lost just twice since the turn of the year, although they have dropped too many points in the way of draws. As a result, they enter this fixture 10th in League One and seven points behind sixth-placed Huddersfield Town. They did secure a 2-0 win over Northampton Town last weekend but with three of the four teams above them having a free week due to the international break, they have played one more game than the majority of their promotion rivals.
Bolton were one of the teams that had a free weekend, giving them the opportunity to recover from back-to-back defeats. A home loss against Stockport County last time out saw them slip out of the top six and Steven Schumacher will know the importance of picking up three points at Bloomfield Road. Blackpool are a tough nut to crack though, which is why backing the Greater Manchester-based side with a draw no bet option is the wise option.
Second Prediction For Blackpool vs Bolton Wanderers – Both Teams To Score – 57/100
Four of the last five fixtures at Bloomfield Road have seen both teams score, with the sole exception coming in the way of a 0-0 draw against Peterborough United at the beginning of the month. Blackpool also boast the third highest percentage in the division where they’ve both scored and conceded in the same game with 61%, but this increases to 67% in front of their own supporters.
The defeat against Stockport aside, Bolton have been involved in some high-scoring affairs in recent weeks. They’ve kept just one clean sheet in their last 10 league outings, whilst they have scored in seven. Over half of their games this season have seen both teams score, with 56% of their away fixtures achieving this result.
Third Prediction For Blackpool vs Bolton Wanderers – Over 2.5 Goals – 18/25
Only Barnsley have been involved in more games this season that has seen three or more goals than both these teams, indicating that we could see an open affair in Lancashire. The Tykes have seen 68% of their fixtures hit this mark, with Bolton on 65% and Blackpool on 63%.
Only one of Blackpool’s last four has produced under three goals, which matches the form shown by Bolton coming into this match. It’s also worth noting that there was three goals in the two sides previous meeting this season, which Bolton won 2-1 at the Toughsheet Community Stadium.
Best Odds For Blackpool vs Bolton Wanderers
| Bookmaker | Blackpool | Draw | Bolton Wanderers |
| MyriadPlay | 6/5 | 23/10 | 7/4 |
| Gentleman Jim | 13/10 | 23/10 | 9/5 |
| Betarno | 23/20 | 12/5 | 17/10 |
Full Preview of the Game: Last Results and Head-To-Head
Blackpool sit seven points outside the play-offs in 10th heading into this game. Although they have only lost twice since Boxing Day, a run of nine draws in 12 games seriously dented their hopes of a top six finish. They have found a way to win in recent weeks though, winning four of their last seven. However, a 2-1 home defeat against Leyton Orient earlier this month was a bitter blow. The Tangerines recovered last time out to win 2-0 at Northampton Town.
Bolton have reignited their promotion hopes since appointing Steven Schumacher at the end of January. Despite losing his first game against Reading, he then guided the club to five wins in six, which included a stunning victory against champions elect Birmingham City earlier this month. This followed a 0-0 draw against automatic promotion hopefuls Wrexham, with those pair of results showing that the Trotters are good enough to compete for a place in the Championship themselves. However, they have come crashing down slightly in recent weeks, losing their last two against Bristol Rovers and Stockport County. This has also seen Bolton slip out of the play-off places into seventh, one point behind Huddersfield Town.
Bolton won the corresponding fixture at the Toughseet Community Stadium earlier this season, with goals from George Thomason and Aaron Collins securing a 2-1 win in November. However, they won’t have fond memories of their last trip to Bloomfield Road, which Blackpool won 4-1 in February 2024. In fact, the Trotters don’t enjoy their team by the seaside and they are winless in their last 16 visits, dating back to 1977.
Confrontation |
Probable Lineups For Blackpool vs Bolton Wanderers
Predicted Blackpool Lineup
- Lineup: Tyrer; Offiah, Baggott, Casey, Coulson; Apter, Evans, Morgan, Carey; Fletcher, Ennis
- Injured/Suspended: Lyons
- Manager: Steve Bruce
Predicted Bolton Wanderers Lineup
- Lineup: Baxter; Dacres-Cogley, Toal, Forrester, Murphy, Schon; Sheehan, Morley, Thomason; Collins, McAtee
- Injured/Suspended: Adeboyejo, Dempsey, Santos
- Manager: Steven Schumacher
