Wigan v West Ham: Game is too early in the season for Latics win
Published:Roberto Martinez has set Wigan off on their usual course for a Premier League season – pick up as few points as possible until relegation is all but confirmed, before pulling all kinds of rabbits out of the smallest of hats as the campaign draws to a close and comfortably avoid the drop.
For this reason, they’re definitely going to lose when West Ham visit the JJB. Their price of 21/10 is a very tempting one given that the Hammers are on good form, while Wigan haven’t won in the league since the second game of the season, losing four of the six they’ve played in that time.
They also make the trip to Lancashire seeking revenge against the team who, when performing one of the aforementioned escape acts, sent them down on the penultimate day of the 2010/11 season. This was done in textbook Wigan fashion – they were dead and buried, 2-0 down at half-time, only to turn it around, win 3-2 and see West Ham off to the Championship.
A repeat of this scoreline is priced up at 22/1, while for the Latics to be losing at half-time and end up winning is available at 20/1.
Yet, with Sam Allardyce’s men unbeaten in five of their last six – their only loss coming to Arsenal, proving they’re getting results against the teams they should be – it’s difficult to look past the east Londoners here.
Allardyce’s style of football is the rock to Martinez’s scissors and with some high pressing, heavy tackles and lots of high balls, Wigan will be in for a long and, ultimately, disappointing afternoon.
Andy Carroll is still awaiting his first goal in claret and blue; this could be the game in which he breaks his duck. He’s never netted against this opposition, but Big Sam knows better than anyone how to play to his strengths. He’s 6/1 to open the scoring and the 15/8 that he registers at any time is a good price too.
The bet with biggest potential for pay-out is the 7/2 available for Carroll to score and West Ham to claim the spoils.
All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date
