Bitesize Prediction: Wigan Athletic vs Salford City – 02/09/25

Competition: EFL Trophy

Market: Wigan Athletic win

Odds: 11/10 @ BetUS

Two local rivals who will get their respective EFL Trophy adventures underway on Tuesday night, Wigan will welcome Salford the Brick Community Stadium.

Starting with the hosts, spending almost the entirety of last season looking over their shoulder at a looming relegation scrap, Wigan are desperately hoping for smoother sailing this time around. However, despite extending on their EFL Cup campaign last week as they snatched a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Stockport, Ryan Lowe’s men have once again failed to find any kind of fluidity. Including a 1-0 loss at the hands of Luton last month, the Latics have mustered just a sole win from any of their previous four appearances across all competitions, the former Preston boss will be calling on his squad to claim an immediate response here. Despite gaining a reputation for their extended issues on the road, Wigan will be excited by their rugged success at the Brick Community Stadium. Including what was a routine 2-0 victory against Peterborough on August 16th, Tuesday’s hosts have not suffered a single defeat in front of their own supporters since the start of April. It should also be highlighted, Lowe’s camp have shipped just a sole strike in front of their own supporters in almost 400 minutes of action.

As for the visitors, while Salford might have signed off the 2024/25 campaign in the midst of a real flurry, the Ammies eventually fell one-point adrift of the play-off places and suffered major League Two frustration. Although Karl Robinson’s men might have made it clear that their sole focus is on finally punching a top-six finish, the former MK Dons boss has seen his squad endure a stuttering start to proceedings. Missing out on what they had billed as a golden opportunity over the weekend as they eventually had to settle for a 1-1 stalemate at home against Cheltenham, Tuesday’s guests have also failed to find any real fluidity in the final third. Watching their EFL Cup come to a heartbreaking end on August 12th as they suffered a penalty shootout defeat at home against Rotherham, Salford have failed to register more than a single strike in four of their previous five appearances across all competitions. Last seen on their travels falling to a 1-0 defeat against Walsall, we are expecting a similar outcome in midweek.

Bet: Wigan Athletic 11/10 to beat Salford City in Tuesday’s EFL Cup matchup @ BetUS