Derby v Wigan

Derby vs Wigan Preview

Derby County narrowly missed out on a play-off place at the end of last season but The Rams will be looking to go one step better this time around as they start their new League One campaign with a home fixture against newly relegated side, Wigan Athletic, at Pride Park on Saturday afternoon.

Just one point separated Derby County from a top six finish at the end of last term and their cause was not helped by the fact that they had to travel to high-flying Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough on the final day of the season which resulted in a 1-0 win for Wednesday.

Nevertheless, Derby will have been encouraged by their solid set of results in the run-in of last term which saw the east midlands club lose just once in their final seven games of the season, picking up three wins in the process which came in the shape of victories over Forest Green Rovers, Exeter City and a 1-0 home win over local rivals, Burton Albion.

Derby County lost just four home games throughout last term but they finished the season with just one home win out of their final six games at Pride Park and were also dealt losses by Fleetwood Town and Ipswich Town.

Wigan Athletic start this season back in League One after just one season in the Championship which ended in relegation after what was a particularly poor campaign for The Latics as they finished bottom of the table and 10 points adrift of safety by the end of the season.

Since dropping out of the Premier League 10 years ago, Wigan Athletic have yo-yo'd between League One and the Championship but it's worth noting that of the last four campaigns that Wigan have spent in the English third tier, the visitors have finished top of the league on no fewer than three occasions, so they should not be written off at this level.

Wigan also bring a four-match unbeaten run away from home into this season opener at Pride Park which includes a 1-0 win at the bet365 Stadium against Stoke City along with a 2-0 win at Morecambe in a recent pre-season friendly.

Derby County v Wigan Athletic Verdict

Derby County's results and form at home fizzled out towards the end but goals were also in short supply as five of Derby's last six home games resulted in Under 2.5 goals, while eight out of Wigan's last 10 away trips in the Championship also yielded just two goals or less towards the end of their campaign.

In addition, six of the previous seven meetings between Derby County and Wigan Athletic have also ended Under 2.5 goals so this could be a low-scoring affair at Pride Park.

Therefore, our main bet will be Under 2.5 goals @ 1.85

Other side bets worth considering:

Wigan Athletic win @ 5.00

Correct score: Wigan Athletic 1-0 @ 13.00