Michael Beardmore has best bets and a preview as Bolton Wanderers host Salford City in a Sky Bet League Two Greater Manchester derby on Friday.
Recommended bets
2pts Salford City 2+ goals 11/8
1pt Ashley Hunter 1+ assist 10/3
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Bolton Wanderers v Salford City
- 19:45 GMT on Sky Sports Football
- Match odds: Home 21/10 | Draw 9/4 | Away 6/5
It might be a well-worn cliché when a team plummeting down the league meets one that has risen from nowhere but ten years ago, who thought Bolton would face Salford in the league in 2020?
Rewind a decade and Bolton were an established Premier League side, with memories still fresh of beating Atletico Madrid and drawing at Bayern Munich on their way to the UEFA Cup last 16 in 2007-08.
That same campaign, Salford were earning promotion from the ninth tier of English football. Since then, of course, their ascent has been rapid – bankrolled by Manchester United’s Class of 92, the Ammies achieved four promotions in five seasons to reach Sky Bet League Two.
And that’s where their more illustrious Greater Manchester neighbours Bolton now find themselves after four relegations inside a decade and, more recently, one financial crisis after another.
If hopes were high of a fresh chapter under new boss Ian Evatt – recruited after leading Barrow to the National League title – those have been tempered by a lacklustre start with just two wins in their opening 15 games in all competitions.
They scored just twice in their first five League Two games and while that record has improved, their defensive problems have not, with 14 goals shipped in their most recent seven games.
Combine that with Salford’s impressive attacking play – only four sides have scored more than the Ammies’ 16 and City have played a game fewer than them all, while they also top the division’s shots on target stats with 5.2 per game – and you have to fancy there are goals to be had for the visitors.
As a result, the 11/8 offered by Sky Bet for Salford to score twice or more looks good value against a Bolton side who allow more shots on goal at home than any League Two side bar Scunthorpe.
Salford have an array of attacking options – former Manchester United striker James Wilson and ex-Rochdale man Ian Henderson have four goals each, and they have recently signed George Boyd too.
That makes a first goalscorer punt tricky but the bet I like is midfielder Ashley Hunter to make one or more assists at 10/3.
He’s made two assists thus far this campaign but it’s more the nature of the opposition that tempts me as Bolton have conceded six goals from set-pieces and keeper William Crellin has made howlers that resulted in a public dressing-down from boss Evatt.
Hunter is a regular corner and free-kick taker, reason enough in itself to snap up that 10/3 but, additionally, only one player in the division (Forest Green’s Aaron Collins) has more shots per game than the ex-Fleetwood man’s 3.6 – if a nervy Crellin spills one, that’s another assist avenue.
It’s not all doom and gloom for Bolton, though – they have shown some resilience in recent weeks to come from behind to rescue a point in three of their last five, twice with stoppage-time equalisers.
Salford have struggled at times to hold on to leads this season – they have led in all four of their draws and one of their two losses – and with Richie Wellens’ attacking style the reason he was chosen to replace the sacked Graham Alexander, there’s every reason to suspect that may continue.
With Bolton’s new-found never-say-die attitude, Salford to lead at half-time but draw at full-time is worth a small play at 16s with BetVictor, it’s 12s or 14s everywhere else.
Score prediction: Bolton 2-2 Salford (Sky Bet odds: 14/1)
Best bets:
Odds correct at 1245 GMT (12/11/20)
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