Wigan vs Blackpool Prediction & Betting Tips (22 September)

Wigan Athletic host Blackpool at The Brick Community Stadium on Tuesday 22 September 2026 in the EFL Trophy Northern Group B, in what promises to be a fiercely contested all-League One derby. The Latics come into this fixture in worrying form, sitting bottom of the League One table after a frustrating run of results, most recently slipping to a 0-1 home defeat against Wycombe Wanderers. Gary Caldwell's young squad — built around goalkeeper Joe Walsh, defenders Finley Burns, James Carragher and Jon Mellish, and midfielders Max Power, Jensen Weir and Reggie Walsh, with Sonny Perkins and Dara Costelloe leading the line — has struggled for goals this season, and Caldwell is expected to rotate heavily for the Trophy as he looks to spark a reaction from his 2026/27 roster.

Blackpool, meanwhile, arrive on the Fylde coast rivals' turf in far better spirits under Ian Evatt, with the Seasiders among the early pace-setters in League One thanks to a potent attack. Their recent results underline that threat: a 2-2 draw with Bromley at Bloomfield Road, preceded by a sensational 4-0 rout of Peterborough United. Evatt's 2026/27 squad features Bailey Peacock-Farrell in goal, a back line of Jordan Williams, Oliver Casey, Josh Earl and CJ Hamilton, a creative midfield of Josh Bowler, George Honeyman, Albie Morgan and Karoy Anderson, and an in-form strike pairing of Tom Bloxham and Dion Charles. Wigan's defence, which has leaked goals all season — including in the 3-2 reverse at Cambridge United in August — will need to be far more resilient to contain them.

Looking at the European odds for this EFL Trophy clash, bookmakers can barely separate the two sides despite their contrasting league form: Wigan are priced at around 2.75 to win in 90 minutes, the draw sits at approximately 3.40, while Blackpool are slight favourites at roughly 2.40 — odds that reflect both the Seasiders' superior momentum and the unpredictability of a competition in which both managers are likely to hand minutes to squad players and emerging academy talent. Goals markets are also intriguing, with Over 2.5 available near even money, and given Blackpool's free-scoring away performances and Wigan's defensive fragility, a high-scoring contest looks entirely plausible.

Our prediction for Wigan vs Blackpool is a 2:2 draw. Both teams have shown they can find the net — Blackpool through Bloxham, Morgan and Charles, Wigan through set-pieces and the energy of Perkins and Costelloe — but neither has been convincing enough at the back to keep a clean sheet. Expect an entertaining, end-to-end cup tie in which Blackpool's quality edges them ahead at least once, only for a rotated but motivated Wigan side, roared on by the home crowd at The Brick, to fight back and earn a share of the spoils. A 2:2 stalemate would leave Group B wide open and set up a fascinating race for qualification in the remaining EFL Trophy fixtu