QPR v Wigan Athletic Preview: McManaman back for relegation dogfight

QPR v Wigan Premier League match and betting odds preview.

queens-park-rangersQPR v Wigan Athleticwigan-athletic

Loftus Road, Sunday 7th April 2013, kick-off 16:10. Ref: Phil Dowd
Live on Sky Sports 1

Wigan striker Callum McManaman (of ‘that tackle’ infamy) is sure to play after being passed fit.  For Queens Park Rangers, Shaun Wright-Phillips is out for the season following his ankle surgery with Traore and Fabio set to undergo tests.

Harry will need to tell his players to look at Wigan’s fighting spirit if they are going to do a Houdini themselves. Redknapp’s team have the worst shot conversion rate in the Premier League at under 10%.  One one hand, QPR have conceded fewer goals (51) than at the same stage of last season (54).  On the other, they have scored seven fewer (28 v 35).  Winning just the one home game in the last seven at Loftus Road is worrying.

For Wigan, Arouna Koné has scored 6 EPL goals in his last eight appearances as the Latics traditional late push gather momentum.  They have lost only one of their last five Premier League away matches, winning two of these.  Will the great escape experts win this six-pointer?  The stats suggest that they just might.

Most bookies have QPR as favourites though, with the best returns for a draw or a Wigan win.

Prediction: QPR 1 Wigan Athletic 2
Betting odds on full time result: QPR win 2.30, Draw 3.40 AWAY win 3.10
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Probable team line-ups:
QPR (4-2-3-1): Cesar, Bosingwa, Samba, Hill, Traore, Jenas, Mbia, Remy, Taarabt, Townsend, Zamora.
Wigan (3-4-3): Robles, Scharner, Alcaraz, Figueroa, Boyce, McCarthy, Gomez, Beausejour, Maloney, McManaman, Kone.