- Derby have failed to win any of their six home matches in the Championship 2026/2027 (D2, L4).
The Rams and the Trotters clash at Pride Park
Championship 2026/2027 strugglers Derby County (7 points from 12 games, 23rd) host Bolton Wanderers (14 points from 12, 18th) at Pride Park on Friday in what looks to be a closely fought affair between two sides in the bottom half of the table.
The Rams are on a five-match winless streak across all competitions (D3, L2), while the visitors arrive in mixed form following a sequence of two wins, one draw and two defeats from their last five. Derby are the narrow favourites here at 61/50, with the visitors available at 207/100 and the draw at 47/20.
Tight, tense and tough to call
It's difficult to see the draw not playing here, as Bolton have mixed form and the stats for Derby especially, make for some pretty grim reading. John Eustace's men have averaged just 0.67 goals per-game at home in the Championship 2026/2027, conceding 1.67 per-match in return.
Eustace sets up his side in a compact 4-2-3-1 shape, and whilst Derby are clearly the weakest team on paper, they have remained organised, tight and tough to break down for the majority of the games they have played. Bolton boss Steven Schumacher has leaned into a much more possession-heavy, front-foot style which has seen them struggle at times, but the Trotters have looked far sharper on their travels than at the University of Bolton Stadium recently.
They beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-1 on the road and secured a 0-0 draw away at high-flying Southampton in their last three matches, with a 1-5 home defeat to Middlesbrough the one blemish on that trip.
Who’s the most likely to edge it?
The hosts have a better record in this fixture with two wins from the last three meetings, and Bolton are winless in their last two visits to Pride Park, but that doesn't mean they cannot do a job on Friday.
Bolton have been better on the road overall this term with two wins, two draws and two defeats from six trips, and whilst they have conceded 11 goals on the road, they should be able to limit the chances they face against Derby's low-block.
The hosts look slightly more likely to nick this, but Bolton's superior away record makes this feel far from a home banker. A Derby win or an under 2.5 goals bet makes the most sense in what should be a tight, tense and nervy fixture.
Who will get on the scoresheet?
Derby's main spark has been Bobby Clark who tops the club's Championship 2026/2027 scoring charts with just two goals in eight appearances, although he has struggled recently.
Bolton have in Sam Dalby their sharpest finisher with three goals in the league from eight matches, and the wide-area supply from Gaizka Larrazabal has been a boost for the club in recent weeks. The Spaniard has three assists in Bolton's last five games and looks their best bet to create something on Friday.
