Match Background
At 02:00 UTCon September 23, 2026, Wigan Athletic and Blackpool will meet in the EFL Trophy. The EFL Trophy is a cup competition involving teams from the lower tiers of English football. For Wigan Athletic and Blackpool, this competition is both a stage to pursue honors and an opportunity to adjust the squad and assess player form. The two teams belong to the same English football league system and are no strangers to each other, having met many times in League One and the Championship. This EFL Trophy encounter also carries some reference value.
From a scheduling perspective, Wigan Athletic and Blackpool both have their own points-gathering tasks in the league. With the EFL Trophy sandwiched between league fixtures, both sides may rotate their personnel to some extent. However, the single-elimination or group-stage points nature of cup competitions often changes the rhythm and intensity of matches, and the teams' motivation and in-game adjustments will be important factors affecting the trend. The kick-off time is in the early hours of UTC, so domestic fans following the EFL Trophy should pay attention to the start time.
Wigan Athletic play at home and have the natural advantages of the venue and fan atmosphere. Blackpool are away and need to adapt to the match rhythm as quickly as possible in the opening stages to avoid being suppressed by the home side's momentum. EFL Trophy matches are often relatively open in the early stages, with both teams likely to try to create chances through wing play and set pieces.
Team Information
Wigan Athletic and Blackpool both have a certain historical heritage in English football. Wigan Athletic have had experience playing in higher divisions, and their overall style tends to be pragmatic. At home, they usually focus on the integrity of their defensive structure and create threats through quick counterattacks and crosses from the flanks. Blackpool are also a team with an attacking tradition, and in away matches they often do not simply sit back, instead trying to seize the initiative through midfield control and front-foot pressing.
Looking at the data for this match, in terms of European odds, the initial home win was 2.28 and is currently 2.27; the initial draw was 3.45 and is currently 3.45; the initial away win was 2.68 and is currently 2.67. The overall changes in the three figures are very small, indicating that the market assesses the two sides as relatively close in strength, with the home team Wigan Athletic holding only a slight odds advantage. In terms of the handicap, both the initial and current lines are Wigan Athletic giving 0.25 goals, with the home team at 1.04 and the away team at 0.78. This handicap setting indicates that the bookmakers believe Wigan Athletic have a certain advantage at home, but the advantage is not obvious, and Blackpool have strong pulling power on the receiving end.
In terms of over/under, the initial line was 2.75 goals, with the over at 0.85 and the under at 0.95; the current line remains 2.75 goals, with the over lowered to 0.73 and the under raised to 1.07. The over odds have been noticeably lowered while the under odds have been raised, reflecting that the market's expectation for the number of goals to reach or exceed three has strengthened.
Recent Form
From Wigan Athletic's recent match data, in the League One away match against Sheffield Wednesday on September 12, 2026, the final score was 0-0, with the half-time score also 0-0. In that match, Wigan Athletic had 7 corners and Sheffield Wednesday had 8 corners. The number of corners was close, indicating that both sides had some ability to push forward in attack but failed to convert it into goals. On September 5, 2026, Wigan Athletic hosted Stockport County in League One. The data for this match was not fully presented in the source, so no judgment can be made about the specific score or process.
Blackpool's recent match data was also not fully presented in the source, so Blackpool's recent form cannot be described in detail. However, the characteristics of the confrontations between the two teams can be indirectly observed from the head-to-head data.
In terms of head-to-head records, the most recent meeting between the two teams was the League One match on March 7, 2026, when Blackpool hosted Wigan Athletic. The final score was 1-1, with the half-time score also 1-1. In that match, Blackpool had 3 corners and Wigan Athletic had 5 corners, and the initial handicap was Blackpool giving 0/0.5 goals. In the League One match on December 20, 2025, Wigan Athletic hosted Blackpool. The final score was 0-2, with the half-time score 0-0. Wigan Athletic had 6 corners and Blackpool had 1 corner, and the initial handicap was Wigan Athletic giving 0.5/1 goals. In the League One match on April 26, 2025, Wigan Athletic hosted Blackpool. The final score was 1-1, with the half-time score 1-0. Wigan Athletic had 1 corner and Blackpool had 12 corners, and the initial handicap was level. In the League One match on October 29, 2024, Blackpool hosted Wigan Athletic. The final score was 2-2, with the half-time score 1-2. Blackpool had 2 corners and Wigan Athletic had 4 corners, and the initial handicap was Blackpool giving 0.5/1 goals.
Looking further back, in the League One match on March 16, 2024, Wigan Athletic hosted Blackpool. The final score was 1-0, with the half-time score 1-0. Wigan Athletic had 2 corners and Blackpool had 3 corners, and the initial handicap was Wigan Athletic giving 0/0.5 goals. In the League One match on September 2, 2023, Blackpool hosted Wigan Athletic. The final score was 2-1, with the half-time score 1-0. Blackpool had 4 corners and Wigan Athletic had 3 corners, and the initial handicap was Blackpool giving 0.5 goals. In the Championship match on April 15, 2023, Blackpool hosted Wigan Athletic. The final score was 1-0, with the half-time score 1-0. Blackpool had 3 corners and Wigan Athletic had 7 corners, and the initial handicap was Blackpool giving 0/0.5 goals. In the Championship match on November 12, 2022, Wigan Athletic hosted Blackpool. The final score was 2-1, with the half-time score 0-1. Wigan Athletic had 8 corners and Blackpool had 3 corners, and the initial handicap was Wigan Athletic giving 0/0.5 goals. In the League One match on January 27, 2021, Wigan Athletic hosted Blackpool. The final score was 0-5, with the half-time score 0-2. Wigan Athletic had 5 corners and Blackpool had 4 corners, and the initial handicap was Wigan Athletic giving 0.5 goals. In the League One match on November 4, 2020, Blackpool hosted Wigan Athletic. The final score was 1-0, with the half-time score 0-0. Blackpool had 4 corners and Wigan Athletic had 5 corners, and the initial handicap was Blackpool giving 0.5/1 goals.
From these head-to-head records, it can be seen that the number of goals in matches between the two teams is not stable, with both low-scoring results such as 0-0 and 1-0 and high-scoring results such as 2-2 and 0-5. The most recent meeting ended 1-1, with both sides showing a certain balance in attack and defense. When Wigan Athletic host Blackpool, they have both won 1-0 and lost 0-2, so the home advantage is not absolute. Blackpool have also had experience of winning away against Wigan Athletic, indicating that the away side has the ability to take points on the road.
Final Recommendation
- 1X2: Blackpool win
- Score: 1-2,1-3
- Handicap: Blackpool +0.25
- Total: Over 2.75