Liverpool v Wigan: Hit or miss Latics can get a point at Anfield

Roberto Martinez takes his capricious Wigan team to Anfield for the first time since he rejected Liverpool’s overtures in favour of remaining under Dave Whelan’s employ.

With the Latics sitting one place and one point behind the Reds, this decision appears to have been justified and a dizzying 6/1 says they’ll get their second win on the bounce on the red half of Merseyside here after last season’s 2-1 triumph.

Brendan Rodgers was the man Liverpool turned to in the Spaniard’s stead and, after some initial teething issues, they have demonstrated a huge improvement in recent weeks. This, however, does not make their massive 4/9 favouritism worth jumping into bed with when the draw can be had at 10/3.

The main reason for this is that Liverpool are far too dependent on Luis Suarez, who has scored or assisted 10 of the club’s 14 Premier League goals this season.

He’s joint-top scorer in the division and, at 3/1, is the obvious favourite to break the deadlock here but, prone to off-days as he is, if he doesn’t fire his side will struggle to get the job done.

The mercurial Uruguayan’s intelligent play and fast feet can bemuse the most accomplished of centre half so he’s sure to be a thorn in Gary Caldwell’s side all afternoon.

The main hindrance to this bet coming in though, will be whether he remembers to pack his shooting boots when he leaves the house for the game. He has been partial to forgetting them in the past, but four goals in four ahead of this one suggests he’s found them a more suitable storage spot and it pays 1/1 for him to score in a home win.

Whether Suarez finds the net or not, there are sure to be chances aplenty in this one given the expansive, attacking philosophies both managers profess and, at 5/6, it’s very much worth a bet that both sides find the back of the net, as has been the case in seven of the last nine renewals.

All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date