Bolton vs Swansea: Trotters to claim rare draw in vital scrap
Published:Bolton need to pick up points fast in their bid to avoid relegation, and the visit of Swansea represents their first chance to do so, with the home side 21/20 to win.
Brendan Rodgers’ Swans recovered from a recent slump by convincingly beating strugglers Blackburn last weekend, and are a 5/2 chance to complete a league double over Bolton here.
Backing the draw at 12/5 could be the wisest option though, as the Trotters, eager to scrap for points, meet one of the Premier League’s most highly-rated passing outfits of the season.
The teams have already met at the Reebok Stadium this term, when Bolton emerged victorious via a 2-1 scoreline in an FA Cup tie, and the recent fragility of either sides’ backlines makes 4/6 odds for both teams to score look appealing.
Swansea conceded in five consecutive games before their 3-0 success of last weekend, whilst you would have to go back nine games to find the last time Bolton kept a clean sheet, so 10/3 odds about a score draw will also tempt punters.
Half markets deserve some attention in this game too, as Swansea have stormed to a half-time lead in almost a third of their league fixtures so far this term, whilst Bolton have gone into the break behind in a big 12 of their 32 games.
With this in mind, the 14/1 odds regarding Swansea holding a half-time lead before a draw occurring at the final whistle may be worth some investment.
More cautious punters can alternatively back the Swans to win either half of the match, which is a 6/5 possibility.
The visitors’ main source of goals in recent weeks has been loan star Gylfi Sigurdsson, who has attracted interest from a host of clubs after seven goals from midfield.
Sigurdsson is 7/1 for the opener on Saturday, whilst technical forward Ivan Klasnic could pay dividends as an 11/2 first scorer option for the home side.
