Wrexham vs Wigan tips: Betting preview with odds and predictions for the EFL Cup tie
Shaun Maloney’s men will look to find inspiration from their memorable run to the final in this competition back in 2006, and they start with a trip to north Wales.
Wrexham’s successes over the past year or two have been heavily documented following their Hollywood takeover, with actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney having exerted themselves at the forefront of the club’s plans.
Wigan look to add to Wrexham woes
Saturday saw the opening fixtures of the new Football League season and the two sides got off to contrasting starts. Wrexham were welcomed back to the EFL in humbling fashion, with MK Dons inflicting the Red Dragons’ first home defeat of 2023 in a breathtaking display.
Wigan, on the other hand, had the perfect start to life back in League One. had the Latics around 3/1 to beat pre-season title favourites Derby at Pride Park, and that is exactly what they did.
Despite an abundance of off-field problems for the visitors, stability looks to be returning to the DW Stadium and they travel to Wrexham brimming with confidence.
New owners look to have installed a fresh lease of life into the club and despite the departures of last season’s top goalscorer Will Keane and prospective captain James McClean – who joined Wrexham on the eve of the new season – they appear to be fearless under Maloney.
It is no secret that the hosts will miss Paul Mullin’s 47 goals from last season in this one, as he continues to recover from injury. Phil Parkinson’s side will have to adapt accordingly in order to break down the Wigan defence.
Wigan are no strangers to being the underdogs, and the value comes in the shape of the visiting side, who look to continue their positive start and progress to round two for only the second time in the last six attempts.
It is unquestionable that both sides have attacking prowess in this match-up. We expect plenty of chances to arise in the latter stages as fatigue sets in and the corner tally could start to stack up.
Wrexham averaged 6.46 corners per game last season compared to Wigan’s 4.42, in a tough Championship campaign. Typically, the hosts like to play up to target man Mullin, but given his absence, manager Phil Parkinson will opt for an alternate route.
Saturday saw the hosts provide almost double the amount of crosses (27) as they averaged per game throughout the whole of last season (16) and this route to goal could prove decisive for our next tip.
Similarly, Wigan like to whip the ball into the box and against Derby they curled in no fewer than 16 crosses. Both sides like to utilise set-pieces effectively, and on the night could prove pivotal for the way the two approach the final third.
With only a slight nick or deflection needed for a resulting set-piece, this has all the ingredients for a wealth of corners and the 3/4 offered at Parimatch for over 9.5 corners is one to keep an eye on.
Given the carnage of their 5-3 defeat at the weekend, Parkinson will want to steady the ship in the early stages of this tie and avoid finding himself in a similar situation of being two goals down within the opening 10 minutes.
Despite their National League dominance last year, Wrexham were not distinguished by their speedy starts. Only one of their last 22 competitive fixtures has been goalless at the final whistle, but Parkinson’s men have only netted once in their last seven within the opening half-hour, a record that Wigan share.
Cup ties are known to eke out nervy starts and with both sides needing results for different reasons, we believe defences will prevail in the early stages. Parkinson will want to ensure solidity throughout his back line, while Maloney will attempt to nullify the roaring Racecourse.
Given this, we believe that the 5/6 offered by Bet365 for no goal before the 27th minute is one to capitalise on.
