Bolton sit 18th in the Championship on 17 points from 15 matches, having scored 20 and conceded 29. On the model's scale they rate 0.70 in attack and 1.67 in defence (1.00 = an average top-flight side, lower defence is better), against Championship averages of 0.75 and 1.36: about average in attack, below it at the back. Across their last 5 league matches they have 1 win, 1 draw and 3 defeats, most recently losing to Derby 1-3 away. That is 1.13 points a match, scoring 1.33 and conceding 1.93 per game across 5 wins, 2 draws and 8 defeats. That leaves them 12 points behind Birmingham at the top, in a table of 24. Among the 24 rated sides in the division that is the 16th-best attack and the 22nd-best defence. They scored in 4 of those 5 and kept 2 clean sheets. Next they host Portsmouth in the Championship on 21 November 2026, a match the model gives them 35%.
Model rating
One scale across every league we cover: 1.00 is an average top-flight side — how the ratings are built.
Championship table
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | Goals | GD | Last 5 | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham | 15 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 28:14 | +14 | WLWWW | 29 |
| 2 | Middlesbrough | 15 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 30:19 | +11 | DWWLD | 29 |
| 3 | Stoke City | 15 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 24:18 | +6 | WDWWW | 29 |
| 4 | Wolves | 15 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 26:18 | +8 | DWWWD | 28 |
| 5 | West Brom | 15 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 23:15 | +8 | WDWDW | 28 |
| 6 | Swansea | 15 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 22:18 | +4 | LLWLL | 26 |
| 7 | Southampton | 15 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 29:15 | +14 | DWWDL | 24 |
| 8 | QPR | 15 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 24:18 | +6 | LWLDW | 24 |
| 9 | West Ham | 15 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 37:23 | +14 | WLLDL | 23 |
| 10 | Sheffield Utd | 15 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 21:19 | +2 | WDWWL | 22 |
| 11 | Portsmouth | 15 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 20:18 | +2 | DWDWL | 22 |
| 12 | Norwich | 15 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 32:24 | +8 | LWWWW | 21 |
| 13 | Blackburn | 15 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 22:23 | -1 | LWLLW | 21 |
| 14 | Cardiff | 15 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 27:27 | 0 | DWLDW | 18 |
| 15 | Wrexham | 15 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 18:20 | -2 | WLLWD | 18 |
| 16 | Millwall | 15 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 23:27 | -4 | DLWLL | 18 |
| 17 | Bristol City | 15 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 16:24 | -8 | LDWLL | 18 |
| 18 | Bolton | 15 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 20:29 | -9 | DLLWL | 17 |
| 19 | Charlton | 15 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 13:23 | -10 | LLLLW | 17 |
| 20 | Watford | 15 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 13:23 | -10 | WLLWD | 15 |
| 21 | Lincoln | 15 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 15:26 | -11 | DWLLL | 15 |
| 22 | Burnley | 15 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 22:31 | -9 | LLDDL | 10 |
| 23 | Derby | 15 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 14:30 | -16 | LDLLW | 10 |
| 24 | Preston | 15 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 13:30 | -17 | LDLLW | 8 |
- Promotion to Premier League
- Championship play-offs
- Relegation
Bolton sit 18 of 24, as the table stands today. Every competition we cover.
Position by match
Bolton have been between 1st and 22nd after each of their 15 Championship matches; 17th after the latest, 18th now that other clubs have played since. Rebuilt from the season's results after each of Bolton's matches (x-axis); ties split on goal difference, then goals scored. Points deductions (Southampton −4) count from the first match.
Recent league form
- L1-3away to Derby6 November 2026
- W1-0away to Charlton3 November 2026
- L2-3Bristol City31 October 2026
- L1-5Middlesbrough23 October 2026
- D0-0away to Southampton17 October 2026
Last 5 league matches, most recent first.
Next match: Bolton vs Portsmouth
Bolton host Portsmouth at Toughsheet Community Stadium, Bolton on 21 November 2026, 15:00 UTC. The model makes it 35% Bolton, 28% draw and 37% Portsmouth, with a most likely scoreline of 0-1. It projects 1.31 expected goals for Bolton against 1.34. Beyond the result it puts both teams to score at 55% and over 2.5 goals at 50%.
Full preview and model analysis for Bolton vs Portsmouth
Recent meetings with Portsmouth
- 13 April 2024Bolton 1–1 PortsmouthLeague One
- 11 December 2023Portsmouth 2–0 BoltonLeague One
- 28 February 2023Portsmouth 3–1 BoltonLeague One
- 14 January 2023Bolton 3–0 PortsmouthLeague One
- 10 January 2023Bolton 1–0 PortsmouthEFL Trophy
The last 5 meetings between the two, most recent first.
Other results that matter to Bolton
-
Wolves v Derby · 24 November 2026
Bolton fans want Wolves to win: that leaves Bolton's risk of a bottom-three finish at 17.8%, against 21.2% if Derby win (18.2% today).
Wolves win17.8%−0.4Draw18.3%+0.1Derby win21.2%+3.0 -
Cardiff v Preston · 24 November 2026
Bolton fans want a draw: that leaves Bolton's risk of a bottom-three finish at 16.2%, against 18.8% if Preston win (18.2% today).
Cardiff win18.2%=Draw16.2%−2.0Preston win18.8%+0.6 -
West Ham v Preston · 21 November 2026
Bolton fans want a draw: that leaves Bolton's risk of a bottom-three finish at 18.0%, against 20.2% if Preston win (18.2% today).
West Ham win18.2%=Draw18.0%−0.2Preston win20.2%+2.0
From our season simulation, reading only the runs in which each result happened. A match is listed when it moves Bolton's figure by 2 points or more and both halves of the runs agree on which result helps.
Upcoming fixtures
Recent results
Leading scorer
S. Dalby, with 6 league goals this season, is the club's only player among the 20 names on the division's scorer list.
Head-to-head records
- Bolton vs Bristol City1W 1D 5L7 meetings
- Bolton vs Charlton4W 1D 2L7 meetings
- Bolton vs Derby2W 1D 4L7 meetings
- Bolton vs Middlesbrough0W 0D 7L7 meetings
- Bolton vs Cardiff3W 0D 3L6 meetings
- Bolton vs Lincoln2W 2D 2L6 meetings
- Bolton vs Millwall2W 2D 2L6 meetings
- Bolton vs Norwich2W 1D 3L6 meetings
- Bolton vs Portsmouth2W 2D 2L6 meetings
- Bolton vs Preston3W 1D 2L6 meetings
Bolton's record against each club, over the meetings on this site's own match record, which begins in July 2026. All head-to-head records.