Why Bolton Wanderers will want one thing to happen in Cardiff City v Lincoln on Saturday | OneFootball

Bolton Wanderers will hope for this outcome in this weekend's first versus second matchup in League One

This weekend features arguably one of the biggest match-ups of the campaign in the entire EFL, as Cardiff City hosts Lincoln City in a battle between the top two in League One.

With just a single point separating the two sides at the top, and having both played the same number of games, one less than Bolton Wanderers below them, many are tipping the winners of this one to go on and win the third-tier title.

However, could the losers be dragged into a fight for second place with Steven Schumacher's side?

It seems unlikely, with Bolton having played a game more and being 10 and 11 points behind Lincoln and Cardiff, respectively. But, with the top two colliding, and then having to navigate long away trips to tricky opponents the following Tuesday night, there could be just a seven or eight-point gap separating the Trotters from second heading into the final 10 games.

Ideally for Bolton, that points gap would be a seven-point one to Lincoln, as not only would that be one less point to make up, but it could resemble a more attainable target than if Cardiff fell to second.

Why Bolton Wanderers may want Cardiff City to beat Lincoln City on Saturday

Ultimately, momentum is everything in this race, and right now, Lincoln has it in spades, going into the meeting with the Bluebirds on a 17-game unbeaten run.

A win over the League One big boys to continue that run and reach the summit would make the Imps feel unstoppable, and ahead of some difficult games after Cardiff, that confidence and momentum could be enough to see them continue that unbeaten streak.

But on the flip side, a defeat could potentially lead to confidence being shot, and a few shaky performances could follow against sides who will be keen to capitalise and pick up points against Michael Skubala's side.

Indeed, Lincoln has to travel to Exeter City next Tuesday before then returning home to face Stockport County. Then, on St Patrick's Day, they travel to Huddersfield Town.

Exeter are a tough cookie to crack at St James Park, and with Matt Taylor back at the helm, may still have that new manager bounce that could cause teams to slip up. Stockport has the fourth-best record in the division away from home, and while Huddersfield's play-off credentials have been questioned recently, what cannot be questioned are their performances at home, with just two defeats at the Accu Stadium all season.

On the flip side, between now and St Patrick's Day, Bolton take on Wycombe Wanderers at the Toughsheet Stadium, who have won the fewest games on the road this season, then travel to relegation-threatened Rotherham United before returning home to take on Doncaster Rovers.

If Steven Schumacher's side can live up to their expectations and take maximum points there, they'll be on 70 points. Pair that with a few poor results for Lincoln after defeat against Cardiff, and Bolton may only be four, five or six points behind, but with a head of steam going into the run-in.

Lincoln's squad is filled with plenty of experienced heads, but the club as a whole is the underdog in this promotion race, having not tasted second-tier football since the 1960s. If the points gap tightens and the pressure starts to build, perhaps Bolton will have the nerve to ride out the rest of the campaign better than the Imps.

Bolton Wanderers need to be near-perfect in a difficult run-in to crash the top two come May 2nd

That being said, when a favourable run of fixtures ends, a difficult one starts, and after Bolton's current four-game run of Wycombe, Rotherham, Doncaster and Port Vale ends, Steven Schumacher's side have seven games against sides who are currently in the top half to end the season, with five of those coming against sides in the top eight.

The favourable result this weekend for Bolton will be for Cardiff to win, as that will give them the best chance to cut the gap between themselves and the top two ahead of the run-in.

However, they'll still likely be behind and will then have to churn out results against tough teams, while hoping Lincoln slips up further, to finish in the top two.

It's a difficult task, but not an entirely impossible one, and if Bolton can pull it off, they'll most definitely deserve it. But, if they do end up falling short, you'd back them to be the favourites in the subsequent play-off clashes.