Ipswich vs Bolton Predictions

• Both teams have scored in four of Ipswich’s five pre-season friendlies.
• Both teams have scored in Bolton’s last two pre-season friendlies.
• Both teams have scored in six of Bolton’s last nine league games of 2021-22.

Positive vibes should make for an entertaining affair

Two clubs oozing positivity meet on League One’s opening day with Ipswich and Bolton likely to serve up an entertaining affair.  Town finished last season well after taking a mid-season gamble on unproven young coach Kieran McKenna.

He compiled a 47.8% win rate and Town lost only four of 23 games that he oversaw. That run, together with some splashy summer signings for League One level, has created more expectancy that this could be the season Ipswich finally maintain a challenge for promotion.

Bolton are coming off a peculiar campaign that finished very strongly indeed. Only the MK Dons took more league points than the Trotters from mid-January onwards and Ian Evatt can take a settled squad into the new campaign – in contrast to the chaos surrounding the club in the past few years.

BTTS has been landing in warm-ups

Both sides get the ball down and play attractive football and both will try to keep the intensity high. If the game goes to type then it will feature a few goals. There were nine across the two league encounters between them last season with Wanderers whacking in seven of them.

Five of Bolton’s last eight away games of 2021-22 featured three goals or more with BTTS landing in six of their final nine too. Either could be a good bet on Saturday, but BTTS is the recommendation here as it has been landing regularly in both clubs’ warm-up matches. Ipswich lost only one of their last 13 at home while Bolton were beaten in just two of their last ten road trips, so a 1-1 draw could be the outcome at Portman Road.