Rangers vs Wigan Predictions, Betting Tips and Match Previews

It is a new era at Ibrox under new manager Steven Gerrard, with ten new signings, a European campaign and a feeling of optimism that simply wasn’t there last season.

Results have been positive under Gerrard. They are unbeaten, progressing through the second round of Europa League qualifying and winning 1-0 away in the next round. A 6-0 win against Bury has also added to the belief Gerrard can do great things with this team, and no goals conceded yet is a bonus.

The early results have also done much to dispel the concern that with so many new signings, the team would take time to start playing well together. The four clean sheets have also been a welcome break from last season, in which the team conceded an average of 1.32 goals a game, which was covered up by the fact they scored twice a game on average. The acquisitions of Connor Goldson from Brighton and Jon Flanagan then, have done well to sort out the Rangers defence.

One of the most important things Gerrard has to do is keep hold of Alfredo Morelos. The striker scored 14 goals last season amidst interest from Chinese clubs, and got the all-important goal against Osijek in the Europa League. He is vital to how the team plays, feeding off balls from wide-men like Jamie Murphy and Josh Windass and the fact Morelos says he is desperate to play under Gerrard is a fantastic development for the team.

The early mood and results around Ibrox all point to a season in which the gap between the club and Celtic in the league and cups will surely be closed to a significant extent.

Like Rangers, there must be a buzz around Wigan at the moment. Straight back to the Championship after being relegated, the team secured the title and will be looking forward to another season in the second division, with more experience and a determination to stay there.

The statistics for their league-winning season are fantastic. They scored an average of 1.93 goals a game, with a total of 89 come the end of the season, the highest in League One. They only conceded an average of 0.63%, which saw them pick up clean sheets in 59% of their matches and lost just six games in the league last year, although four of those came away from home. Throw in the biggest cup upset of the season, in which they beat the mighty Manchester City 1-0 at home in the FA Cup and Wigan can point to a truly phenomenal season in which they played some fantastic football under Paul Cook.

Their movement in the transfer window has been positive as well. Promising goalkeeper Christian Walton has been signed for Brighton, whilst Chelsea youngster Reece James has been signed on loan to replace out-going defender…Reece James. In an attacking sense, Kal Naismith has been signed from Portsmouth, who scored 21 goals in 93 appearances for the club, whilst occasionally-explosive winger Callum McManaman has been re-signed from Sunderland. Whilst Cook will want a few more players to compete in the Championship, these are moves forward.

With the style of play adopted under Paul Cook and the confidence the team must have, surely this is the year where Wigan consolidate a place in the Championship.

For this game in particular, it could be hard to pick a winner. Rangers have home advantage and the better team, but with a Europa League second-leg tie coming up, Gerrard may experiment with his team and start fringe players. Wigan do not have this problem and will be looking to embed the team as quickly as possibly so a Full Time Result of a Draw could reflect the context of this match.

In addition, both teams have been in recent goalscoring form, as well as throughout their respective previous seasons, so a entertaining, high-scoring draw could add real value. Betting on an “Over 2.5 goals” game, as well as a 2-2 final result could be a winner, as these teams will look to play attacking football and attempt to impress before the season starts.