Stoke vs Wigan prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2023-04-17 18:45.
Stoke City still await mathematical confirmation that they’ll renew their Championship status for next season, after a 2-1 loss last time out to West Brom made it three successive games without a win (D1, L2). Now sitting in 16th on 52 points, all Stoke can realistically hope for is bettering last season's tally of 62 points with four games to go, that being their best haul since re-entering the Championship in 2018.
Perhaps the Tuesday night lights can help the Potters achieve that goal, having avoided defeat in four of their last five league games played on a Tuesday (W3, D1). Manager Alex Neil may aid in masterminding the three points against Wigan here too, having won five of his last six (L1) managerial encounters with the Latics.
That trend seems destined to continue, as Wigan don’t seem to be putting up much of a fight for their survival after suffering their third consecutive scoreless defeat in the “battle of the bottom two” when losing 1-0 to Blackpool over the weekend. Time appears to have run out, as that result means another defeat here, coupled with results elsewhere going against Shaun Maloney’s men, will finally see them officially get relegated, a conclusion that has seemed inevitable for a long time.
Hitting the road only serves to further diminish what are only mathematical hopes for the Latics, considering they’ve failed to win any of their last 17 away matches (D7, L10). If all else fails, pride is on the line for Wigan, as defeat here would also see Stoke secure a league-double over them for the first time since 1998/99!
Players to watch: That occurred before Stoke’s top-scorer this season Tyrese Campbell was born, and he’s gone on to score eight of his last ten goals after half-time. The inverse is true for Wigan’s top-scorer Will Keane, as eight of his last ten have come before half-time.
Hot stat: Wigan have failed to win any of their last seven Championship matches played on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday (D2, L5).