Both of these sides looked to be in a bit of trouble a few weeks ago, however, whilst Villa have improved dramatically to push up to eighth, Bolton still prop up the table.
Steve Bruce’s Villa side have gone on a marvelous recent run in the Championship with no defeats in their last seven and three wins from their last three outings.
After struggling to find their shooting boots in the opening weeks of the campaign, Villa now have them firmly laced onto their feet with nine goals scored in their last three matches. They have also been defensively sound with just one goal conceded in their last five games. It seems that the large number of players who arrived in the summer are finally starting to gel.
Despite the turmoil at Villa Park in the last couple of seasons, home form has not been too much of a worry. This is demonstrated by the fact that the Lions have lost just three Championship matches on home soil since their relegation from the Premier League in 2016.
Whilst things are looking up for Villa, Bolton look like they could really struggle this season. They are still yet to win a league match this term and have lost their last seven competitive matches – putting them six points below safety.
Phil Parkinson’s men have been atrocious at both ends of the pitch with just three goals in their last seven matches in all competitions whilst they have also kept just one clean sheet all season. This is a recipe for disaster if ever there was one.
Although they have taken all of their league points on their travels this season, Bolton’s away record is still poor with just two points taken from a possible 15. Additionally, they have scored just one league goal away from the Macron Stadium so far.
Given the heavily contrasting form of Villa and Bolton, you have to go with a home win here. It is just a question of finding value on the market. With Bolton’s attack looking far from potent and Villa’s defence looking stable, Aston Villa to Win to Nil at a profitable 23/20 looks to be a good bet.