- Leyton Orient are in fine form, having gone 5 League One games unbeaten (W4, D1), including a 2-0 home win over Wigan Athletic in the reverse fixture.
- Wigan Athletic have won 2 of their last 3 at home, but lost 3-0 to Reading last time out.
- In head-to-head meetings, Leyton Orient have the advantage with 2 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss to Wigan Athletic in the last 5 clashes.
A tale of two managers - Caldwell & Wellens
Wigan Athletic currently sit 19th in the League One table with 45 points from 39 games, 4 fewer than 17th-placed Leyton Orient, who have played the same amount of fixtures. Both clubs have their own ideas for success and the clash of styles on Thursday could lead to an intriguing and competitive fixture.
Gary Caldwell took charge of the Latics in February 2026, and has implemented a more pragmatic approach that is far more compact in style than Wigan had been playing under the previous management. Caldwell is a tactical coach with a variety of systems at his disposal, but he prefers the direct vertical transition game. However, since his arrival, Wigan have been more rigid and solid at the back with Charlie Hughes solid at the heart of their defence and a large reason for their recent upturn in form and clean sheets.
The reverse head-to-head fixture seven months ago was a 2-0 home victory for Leyton Orient in League One 2025-2026 and Richie Wellens’ men were full of confidence and belief. The O’s are in good form, as they have gone 5 games unbeaten in the league, including a 4-2 win away at AFC Wimbledon and a 2-0 win at home to Wycombe Wanderers in their last two.
Wellens has masterminded a disciplined and possession-heavy system all season that has seen Leyton Orient avoid the scrap at the bottom of the table and into mid-table obscurity. The visitors will look to be patient in their build-up, play triangles in the midfield and press high when out of possession, while Wigan will aim to get the ball wide and try to get at Leyton Orient when they have the ball in the first third.
Orient to edge it at the DW Stadium
Wigan Athletic’s recent form has been patchy, as they beat Exeter City 2-0 at home, but followed that result with a 3-0 defeat away to Reading. Leyton Orient are unbeaten in their last 3 away, with 2 wins and 1 draw, suggesting they have the confidence and momentum to take something from this fixture.
At the DW, Wigan Athletic have won 9, drawn 3 and lost 7 of their 19 League One fixtures, averaging 1.00 goal per game. Leyton Orient have conceded 38 goals in 20 away League One matches, far too many, but have won 6, drawn 2 and lost 12 on the road. In the head-to-head, Wigan Athletic average 0.5 goal per home game, and Leyton Orient average 1.0 goal away.
The home win is a tempting price at 6/5, but Leyton Orient are in better form and could nick it. Instead, I will take a chance on ‘Both teams to score - No’ at 9/10 and ‘Over 2.5 goals’ at 21/20.
Joe Taylor leads the scoring for Wigan Athletic with 13 goals in 33 League One appearances, and has scored 3 of their last 6 goals. Meanwhile, Leyton Orient’s top scorer is striker Dominic Ballard with 21 goals in 33 League One appearances, and has netted 5 of their last 10 goals.
