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Bolton logo
League One | Gameweek 38
Mar 12, 2022 at 3pm UK
Reebok Stadium
Plymouth Argyle

Bolton
0 - 1
Plymouth

FT(HT: 0-1)

Preview: Bolton Wanderers vs. Plymouth Argyle - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Saturday's League One clash between Bolton Wanderers and Plymouth Argyle, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Having now climbed back into the top six of the League One table, Plymouth Argyle will look to give their playoff hopes another boost on Saturday, when they travel north to take on Bolton Wanderers.

The Pilgrims made it back-to-back league victories on Tuesday, while their hosts snatched a point against Morecambe.


Match preview

Plymouth Argyle's Macaulay Gillesphey celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates on February 5, 2022© Reuters

After a difficult start to the season, Bolton Wanderers kept their playoff hopes alive with an eye-catching run in the new year, winning six of seven league matches and drawing the other to climb into the top-six race.

While their form has taken a slight dip since, with Ian Evatt's men falling to defeats to Burton Albion and MK Dons in February, they did bounce back from the latter with a 3-0 thrashing of Gillingham last weekend, thanks to goals from Aaron Morley, Declan John and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson.

The Trotters then headed into Tuesday's home meeting with strugglers Morecambe looking to make it two straight wins, but they looked set to fall to a 1-0 defeat, only for Bodvarsson to snatch a point with a 94th-minute equaliser.

Nonetheless, that underwhelming result leaves Evatt's side seven points behind the playoff places - possibly a gap too wide to bridge in their last nine league matches.

The Lancashire outfit do have a chance to score a victory over the sixth-placed side this weekend, though, and they will see three points as imperative if they are to cling on in the battle until the end of the campaign.

Ian Evatt pictured in May 2018© Reuters

Plymouth will arrive looking to hold onto that spot, having recently climbed back into the top six after a dip in form around the turn of the year.

Steven Schumacher's men certainly appear to have turned a corner in the last two months, and, after a setback of consecutive defeats, they made a return to winning ways on Saturday as Conor Grant and Ryan Hardie fired them to a 2-0 victory over Morecambe at Home Park.

The Pilgrims were able to add to that last time out, defeating AFC Wimbledon at home by the same scoreline with Hardie again on the scoresheet alongside Ryan Broom.

As a result, they currently occupy sixth spot with games in hand on the majority of sides around them, although, with the likes of Wycombe Wanderers, Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich Town hot on their heels, Schumacher's men will know they have little room for error if they are to book a place in the playoffs.

Bolton Wanderers League One form:
  • L
  • W
  • W
  • L
  • W
  • D

Plymouth Argyle League One form:
  • W
  • W
  • L
  • L
  • W
  • W



Team News

Plymouth Argyle's Ryan Law celebrates after scoring their first goal on January 8, 2022© Reuters

Ian Evatt has seemingly found a relatively established starting XI, and Bolton are again unlikely to make too many changes with Will Aimson, Ricardo Santos and George Johnston lining up across the back line and Marlon Fossey and Declan John playing in wing-back roles.

One possible alteration could be the return of Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, with the Iceland international having scored off the bench last time out, making it consecutive goals for the Trotters after a slow start to life in Lancashire following a move from Millwall.

There is plenty of competition for places in attack, though, with Oladapo Afolayan, Dion Charles and Amadou Bakayoko also vying for starts.

Plymouth set up in a similar system to their hosts, and Schumacher has also relied upon an established core, fielding Macauley Gillesphey, James Bolton and James Wilson at the back.

Ryan Hardie will again lead the line after netting in a second straight match last time out, with Luke Jephcott, Niall Ennis and Jordon Garrick battling to join the Scotsman.

Panutche Camara will hope to earn his place back in the midfield, although Ryan Broom, Jordan Houghton and Danny Mayor have impressed in the centre recently.

Bolton Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Trafford; Aimson, Santos, Johnston; Fossey, Williams, Morley, John; Afolayan; Bakayoko, Bodvarsson

Plymouth Argyle possible starting lineup:
Cooper; Gillesphey, Bolton, Wilson; Edwards, Broom, Houghton, Mayor, Grant; Hardie, Ennis


SM words green background

We say: Bolton Wanderers 1-1 Plymouth Argyle

Plymouth Argyle will certainly be focussed on earning another victory to boost their playoff claim, but they face a particularly tough test, and we do not see them returning to the south coast with all three points.

Instead, we expect two strong sides to cancel one another out in Lancashire and share the spoils.



Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting over 1.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Over 1.5:data



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Written by
Sam Varley

Data Analysis

Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Bolton Wanderers win with a probability of 53.74%. A draw had a probability of 24.1% and a win for Plymouth Argyle had a probability of 22.18%.

The most likely scoreline for a Bolton Wanderers win was 1-0 with a probability of 11.48%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-0 (9.73%) and 2-1 (9.7%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (11.45%), while for a Plymouth Argyle win it was 0-1 (6.76%). The actual scoreline of 0-1 was predicted with a 6.8% likelihood.


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Game History

How you voted: Bolton vs Plymouth

Bolton Wanderers
15.4%
Draw
7.7%
Plymouth Argyle
76.9%
13
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Wycombe Wanderers' Brandon Hanlan celebrates scoring their first goal on January 11, 2022
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