Recommended Bets
Back Under 1.5 Goals @ 3.9n/a
Back 0-1 Correct Score @ 8.415/2
Back Half Time Draw @ 2.47/5
Back 9pts or Above Bookings Odds @ 2.021/1
Wigan entertain Chelsea at home this Sunday lunchtime with both teams looking to begin the season as they ended the last. The Latics will be hopeful of avoiding yet another relegation battle while the Blues appear set up to challenge for the title, writes Feizal Rahman.
Despite winning the FA Cup and Champions League, Chelsea have spent heavily over the summer to address what was a disappointing Premier League campaign last year - lavishing in excess of £60m on Eden Hazard, Oscar and Marko Marin.
Wigan have lost forward Hugo Rodellega and midfielder Mohamed Diame but were able to add Arouna Kone and Ryo Miyaichi (loan). Yet, perhaps their most important piece of business was keeping hold of manager, Roberto Martinez.
Victor Moses is in the Latics' squad despite being the subject of interest from the Blues over the summer. Two of Chelsea's new boys, Hazard and Oscar, are set to make their league debuts, though Marin is sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Match Odds
Since gaining promotion to the Premier League, Wigan have won only two of their opening home games of the season and have twice lost to Chelsea in those. The Blues, conversely, have won eight of their last 10 openers on the road.
Chelsea have traditionally found the DW Stadium a happy hunting ground with five wins from seven visits. However, the Latics' sole victory against the West Londoners did come at home with a 3-1 victory against 10 men back in 2009.
Opta note that Wigan won their final four fixtures at home last season, a run that helped ensure their top flight survival. In contrast, Chelsea took maximum points in only one of their last nine away trips, losing four of those.
This fixture hints at being a typically tight first game of the season with both sides looking to blow away the cobwebs. However, Chelsea should have enough class to sneak the win at 1.664/6 and are around 2.26/5 to do so with a -1.0 Asian handicap.
Chelsea were far from prolific on the road last term, firing blanks in four of their last nine games in the league and failing to score more than once in all but one of those. Wigan, meanwhile, conceded just five from their final seven at home.
The visitors have twice won by a single goal at the DW Stadium and with their superior defence can be taken to repeat a 0-1 Correct Score at 8.415/2. Under 2.5 Goals trades at 1.981/1 but under 1.5 Goals may have greater appeal at 3.9n/a.
Other Markets
The Blues parted company with their talismanic striker, Didier Drogba, following the Champions League win and the goalscoring burden will now fall heavily on Fernando Torres, who has admitted he wasn't in the right frame of mind last season.
The Spaniard has, however, shown signs of a renaissance over the summer with goals in the European Championships and the Community Shield last weekend. He can be backed at 5.04/1 to be First Goalscorer and 2.26/5 To Score at any time.
In the 12 away games since Chelsea's last visit to Wigan, Roberto Di Matteo's side have led at half time just twice. Wigan, meanwhile, have trailed at the break on two occasions in their last eight home fixtures. The half-time draw is available at 2.47/5.
These were two of the most ill-disciplined teams last term with 114 cautions between them. Opta also highlight that Wigan committed the most fouls of any team, so 9pts and Above in the Bookings Odds at 2.021/1 may reward.
Recommended Bets
Back Under 1.5 Goals @ 3.9n/a
Back 0-1 Correct Score @ 8.415/2
Back Half Time Draw @ 2.47/5
Back 9pts or Above Bookings Odds @ 2.021/1
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