- Barnsley beat Wigan 7-6 at home in a wild cup clash three months ago.
- Wigan have conceded ten goals in seven home matches in League One 2026/2027.
- Barnsley have conceded 1.83 goals per away game in League One 2026/2027.
Strange times at the DW
There is nothing like a game with Barnsley to mess with the head of a League One 2026/2027 manager. Gary Caldwell has overseen Wigan Athletic since taking over on 16 February 2026, including a 7-6 EFL Cup 2026/2027 loss to Barnsley. The Latics are 21st in League One 2026/2027 with 11 points from 14 matches, so Caldwell still has a massive job to do to keep Wigan up, and they will need to do better than 3-0 win over Boreham Wood at the weekend to pull off a cup upset. They should be able to beat the Reds, however, who have picked up a woeful 1 win, 1 draw, and 3 defeats from their last five games, although the 7-2 win over Aldershot Town in the FA Cup did put a bit of a gloss on that run.
Latics can lock down the danger man
Daniel Stendel's side are 23rd in League One 2026/2027 with nine points from 12 games, which means they are right in the middle of the relegation battle. A 7-6 win over Wigan in the EFL Cup three months to the day before this clash does not make the Reds favourites, and they will be keen to make a statement.
Jensen Weir leads the way for the Latics in League One 2026/2027 with two goals in seven games, so they can't match Barnsley's threat in the final third with Cameron McGeehan leading the Reds with three in seven games in the league this season.
The market seems to be on Wigan’s side
Barnsley have won one, drawn one and lost four of their away games in League One 2026/2027, scoring 1.00 and conceding 1.83 goals per game away from home. Wigan have won three, drawn one and lost three at home, which is hardly a fortress, but a slightly better base to build from.
Wigan Athletic are slight favourites to win at 32/25, with Barnsley close behind at 44/25 and the draw at 27/10. Wigan have failed to beat Barnsley in their last two home games, so the Reds know how to frustrate the Latics.
However, Caldwell will try and keep the ball and dictate the tempo, while Stendel's Barnsley will try and disrupt the build-up and turn it into a game where they can show their talent in transition.
Both teams to score looks the best angle here at 12/25, while over 2.5 goals at 57/100 also appeals in this nervy relegation six-pointer that could go either way.
