Having held out for a draw in the first meeting, Bolton Wanderers will be attempting to complete the upset when they face Luton Town in an FA Cup third round replay. Luton have become the draw specialist lately and Tuesday’s clash is likely to produce another tight, closely fought encounter.
Bolton Wanderers earned a replay after playing out a 0-0 draw in the first meeting. They were second best for much of that encounter, finishing with just two attempts on target while having to ride their luck a few times.
Although Bolton Wanderers played second fiddle to Luton Town in that first meeting, some of their defending will be pleasing to manager Ian Evatt, who will be keen for a repeat. The result means they head into Tuesday’s clash unbeaten in their last six matches across all competitions.
Having taken the tie back to the Toughsheet Community Stadium, Bolton Wanderers will be feeling confident as they have done some good work at home this season. They are unbeaten in eight of their last nine matches in front of their fans.
Luton Town will be disappointed not to have claimed the win in the first meeting after a dominant display. Carton Morris had their best chance but was denied by Nathan Baker in goal for Bolton.
While the result was disappointing, the lack of cutting edge was not particularly surprising as that has been the major problem for Luton Town this season. They have scored just one goal or less in eight of their 11 away matches this season.
Although the goals have not been flowing for Luton Town, they will still head into Tuesday’s clash unbeaten in four of their last five matches. However, Rob Edwards' men seem unable to see out wins and have drawn the last two matches in that run.
How the bookies view it
The bookies are expecting a closely fought encounter with a win for Bolton Wanderers priced at 17/10 by BetVictor while a Luton Town victory is valued at 6/4 by Betfred. Bet365 is offering odds of 13/5 for a draw.
Head to head
Bolton Wanderers have a 5-3 advantage with seven draws from 15 previous matches against Luton Town. The last two fixtures have ended in 0-0 draws, although the FA Cup clash was the first meeting between both sides since the 1994-95 season.
Players to watch
Bolton Wanderers will be targeting a similar defensive performance to the one in the first meeting. Ricardo has been a defensive rock for the hosts and the Portuguese centre-back could inspire another clean sheet at 11/4 with bet365.
Luton Town were largely untroubled in the first meeting and will be targeting a similar dominant performance, although they need to be wary of fast breaks. Defender Gabriel Osho will be expected to mop up any attacks from the hosts and can lead the visitors to a clean sheet at 5/2 with bet365.
Anything else catch the eye?
There were no goals in the first meeting, so BTTS NO could be considered at 11/8 with William Hill. Luton Town have seen under 2.5 goals in their last two matches and a repeat could be on the cards at 11/10 with Paddy Power.
There was a halftime draw in Bolton Wanderers’ previous home fixture and a Tuesday’s clash could be tipped to follow a similar pattern at 13/10 with 888Sport.
This FA Cup match between Bolton Wanderers and Luton Town will be played on Jan 16, 2024 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Bolton Wanderers vs Luton Town prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
