Credit: Imago

Oliver Walton

Thu 12 March 2026 20:30, UK

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The League One relegation battle took another twist in midweek as Blackpool slipped into the bottom four following Leyton Orient’s win over Stevenage.

Orient secured their third win of 2026 with a 2-1 triumph over Stevenage on Tuesday night to jump out of the League One relegation zone and into 19th place.

Blackpool dropped into the bottom four ahead of their trip to Wimbledon, and they were heavily beaten 4-1 in the capital to compound their relegation fears.

20th-placed Wigan were also beaten in midweek, as Plymouth sealed a 3-0 victory at the Brick Community Stadium.

The Tangerines and the Latics each featured in the Premier League once upon a time, but could both be playing in League Two next season if things don’t change.

Opta predicts Blackpool to be relegated from League One over Wigan

Ian Evatt is under real pressure at Blackpool right now, with his side currently on a run of just one win in their previous nine league outings.

After sacking Ryan Lowe last month, sources told Football Insider that Wigan were set to appoint Gary Caldwell as their new boss, but he has not been able to fully turn their form around since returning to the club.

The Latics are currently sitting above Blackpool in the third-tier table though, and they also have a game in hand, with Opta currently predicting Evatt’s side to succumb to relegation come May.

They are level on points as it stands, but Blackpool have a 40.9 per cent chance of relegation compared to Wigan’s 25.96 per cent chance.

Rotherham, Northampton and Port Vale are the three clubs that Opta expect to join the Tangerines in League Two next season.

Who do Opta think will finish in the League One top six?

League One’s automatic promotion spots look set to be filled by Lincoln City and Cardiff City, with Opta currently backing the former to win the title, with an 84.8 per cent chance, compared to 15.1 per cent.

Bolton, Bradford and Stockport are all backed to finish between third and fifth, but the battle for the final playoff spot could go down to the wire, according to Opta.

Reading sit seventh as it stands, but they are being backed to come sixth, with a 31.46 per cent chance of doing so ahead of other sides in the race.

Huddersfield are given a 23.9 per cent chance, Stevenage a 25.1 per cent chance, and Wycombe a 22.5 per cent chance of finishing in the third tier’s playoff places.