Bolton Wanderers host Plymouth Argyle in an English League One fixture, with both teams looking to bounce back from defeats on the opening weekend. This is poised to be an open encounter, with neither defence looking solid at the moment.
Bolton come into this clash off the back of a 2-0 defeat at Stockport County in their opening fixture. They saw plenty of possession and created several scoring opportunities, but lacked the cutting edge in attack.
The task for Bolton Wanderers will be to get back on track as they head into their first home game of the season. The good news is that Steven Schumacher’s men had picked up five straight wins prior to the defeat at Stockport County.
Plymouth Argyle, meanwhile, are adjusting to life back in League One following relegation from the Championship. Tom Cleverley’s side suffered a 3-1 home defeat to 10-man Barnsley in their season opener, with Caleb Watts scoring their only goal.
The Pilgrims appear to be low on confidence lately, having lost four of their last six matches in all competitions. They are also a bit erratic on their travels, with just two wins from their last 10 competitive away matches.
How the bookies view it: Bookies backing Bolton
Bolton Wanderers have the upper hand among the bookies and are priced at 6/10 by BoyleSports to claim the win. A victory for Plymouth Argyle is valued at 15/4 while a draw is set at odds of 14/5.
Head to head: Plymouth hold the edge
Plymouth Argyle have a 4-1 advantage with one draw from six previous matches against Bolton Wanderers. However, the hosts earned their only win in the last meeting, claiming a 4-0 victory in an EFL Trophy clash in 2023.
Players to watch: McAtee to shine at home
Playing in front of his home fans, John McAtee could be the one to watch for Bolton, having notched 12 goals last season. With Mason Burstow also in attack, both men can produce over 1.5 goals for the hosts (Bolton over 1.5 goals – valued at 8/13 with BoyleSports).
Watts could be the one to watch for Plymouth Argyle, having scored their only goal in the defeat to Barnsley. Xavier Amaechi is also expected to lead the line, and both men can combine to produce over 0.5 goals – offered at 4/9.
Probable line-ups
Bolton boss Schumacher should start Teddy Sharman-Lowe in goal, with Chris Forino-Joseph and Eoin Toal in defence. Aaron Morley and Xavier Simons probably get the nod in midfield, while Burstow and McAtee lead the attack.
For Plymouth, goalkeeper Luca Ashby-Hammond should command the line, with Victor Palsson and Kornel Szucs in defence. Malachi Boateng and Brendan Sarpong-Wiredu would have to work hard in a four-man midfield, while Amaechi, Watt and Bradley Ibrahim are expected to form a three-man frontline.
Bolton Wanderers: Sharman-Lowe, Conway, Forino-Joseph, Toal, Cogley, Simons, Morley, Gomes, McAtee, Cozier-Duberry, Burstow
Plymouth Wanderers: Ashby-Hammond, Palsson, Szucs, Galloway, Sorinola, Sarpong-Wiredu, Boateng, Mumba, Amaechi, Ibrahim, Watts
Anything else catch the eye?
Both teams have scored in seven of Plymouth Argyle’s last 10 matches (BTTS YES – priced at 4/6 with BoyleSports). There have been over 2.5 goals in eight of those 10 fixtures (over 2.5 goals – available at 4/6).
There have been more goals after the break in four of Bolton Wanderers’ five matches (Second half most goals – set at odds of 20/21).
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