A massive Premier League relegation clash at the Madejski Stadium this Saturday and Reading are tipped to take care of Wigan.
It has been a really difficult season for Reading in the top flight but Brian McDermott’s men are still in with more than a decent chance of survival and three points on Saturday well help their cause enormously.
I had the Royals as relegation certainties at the turn of the year but a number of spirited displays and a string of stirring fight backs has seen them rally wonderfully well.
Defeat at Stoke a fortnight ago, narrowly 2-1, was just their second in eight top flight matches and there was no disgrace in their other reversal in that period, coming as it did at White Hart Lane.
Recent wins over West Ham, West Brom, Newcastle and Sunderland, three of them in Berkshire, has seen McDermott’s men edge closer to safety and victory over the hapless Latics on Saturday would almost certainly take them out of the drop zone.
Many expect Wigan to turn it on once more as the season’s climax approaches, as they have done in previous campaigns, but I’ve seen little evidence of any quality from Roberto Martinez’s men of late and defeat would leave them somewhat cut adrift.
A 3-0 win at Villa Park in late December remains Wigan’s only Premier League away triumph in their past eight matches and Martinez’s men have conceded 17 goals in that time.
There will surely be chances at both ends despite the importance of this six-pointer but, with home advantage, and certainly the more in-form strikers, Reading are the selection at 2.62 in a number of places.
It is a confident pick at the prices.
3pts Back Reading (vs. Wigan) @ 2.62 (various)