Wolves vs. Chelsea - Prediction, Picks and Betting Odds

Both sides faced the toughest opposition to open the season in Arsenal and Man City, and the pair will be desperate to pick up a first three points. However, we are expecting Wolves to pile more misery on their opponents with a win at home.

Chelsea have a very poor record against Wolves in recent seasons, failing to win any of the last three with no clean sheets. Goals should be prominent in this one, with the Over 2.5 market landing in four of the last five meetings. Similarly, the BTTS market has landed in three of the previous six.

The Blues have not won at Molineux since 2019 when they were managed by Frank Lampard, and this run is likely to continue – Wolves 2-1 Chelsea

Wolves welcome Chelsea to Molineux, with both sides looking to recover from opening day defeats in the second game of the Premier League season.

• Date: 08/25/24
• Kick-off time: 09:00 AM ET
• Venue: Molineux

The home side fell to a loss in their first game of the season, as they were dealt a tough hand in facing Arsenal away from home. They lost 2-0, though they did enjoy spells in the game where they felt they could have come away with something. A rough end to last season where they lost four of their last five meant they finished in 14th place, a position they are no doubt looking to improve.

Goalscoring was a big issue for Wolves, with only four clubs scoring less than them last campaign. They were led by the pair of Matheus Cunha and Hwang Hee-Chan, who both scored 12 goals apiece. The club have bolstered their attacking options with the signing of Jorgen Strand Larsen on loan from Celta Vigo, and he started up top last week. He scored 13 goals for Vigo last year, and is a very welcome addition for manager Gary O’Neil.

They will be hosting a Chelsea side who are once again under new management, and will be looking to recover from opening day defeat to champions Man City. It comes off the back of an underwhelming pre-season which saw them struggle immensely in defense, a clear vulnerability that Wolves will be keen to exploit. Only West Ham conceded more than Chelsea’s 63 goals in the top half, and their weaknesses remain apparent heading into this one.

Despite their tricky start, Enzo Maresca and his team will expect a better season than last, which saw them finish sixth under Mauricio Pochettino. With players coming back from injury such as Romeo Lavia and Christopher Nkunku, as well as some new additions, they will hope to build a more consistent and stable side. However, they will be desperate to pick up three points in this one to avoid an extended winless start to the campaign.

One of Chelsea’s key summer signings, Pedro Neto, will be making an early return to the club who sold him. The winger made the £54m switch earlier this month, and will be hoping to haunt his former side this weekend. The Blues have plenty of dangerous attackers the hosts will need to keep an eye on, none more so than Cole Palmer, who enjoyed an incredible debut campaign with the side. His 22 league goals last season was only bettered by Erling Haaland, as Palmer announced himself as one of the country’s elite talents.

This will be the 118th meeting between these two sides in history. Perhaps surprisingly, there is almost nothing to split the pair with Chelsea winning 44 games to Wolves’ 43. However, in recent seasons, this has been a nightmare fixture for Chelsea, as they have won just once in the last eight games. Currently, they are on a three-game losing streak in which they have conceded seven and scored three. The latest of those was a 4-2 defeat at Stamford Bridge back in February. In the reverse fixture at Molineux, they lost 2-1, with goals from Mario Lemina and Matt Doherty sending them home empty-handed. They have not won away from home since 2019, when they won 5-2 under Frank Lampard.

Wolves vs. Chelsea will be available to watch in the US via Peacock Premium.

Wolves

Nelson Semedo is available to return from suspension, whilst the only players expected to remain out through injury are Enso Gonzalez Medina and Leon Chiwone. Wolves should have a fully fit squad to choose from otherwise.

Chelsea

Chelsea have no new injury concerns to contend with ahead of this one. Reece James has a minor injury though remains suspended. Ben Chilwell and Raheem Sterling were not named in the squad last week as their futures appear in doubt.

Wolves:

In their last five games, Wolves have won two and lost three. It was an inconsistent pre-season for Wolves, and they started their season with a very difficult trip to expected title challengers Arsenal. They fell to a 2-0 defeat, with goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka either side of half-time doing the damage.

This run of games started with a 3-1 win over fellow Premier League side West Ham in a friendly. Wolves took the lead through Matheus Cunha, but were pegged back on the stroke of half-time by Mohammed Kudus. Goals from Rodrigo Gomes secured the win for his side in the second half.

They were on the wrong end of this scoreline in their next game, this time against Crystal Palace. This preceded a return to winning ways with a 3-0 win over RB Leipzig. Pablo Sarabia opened the scoring, before adding another. Gomes scored the third. Their final pre-season game was a 1-0 defeat to Rayo Vallecano.

Chelsea:

In their last five games, Chelsea have won one, drawn one and lost three. It was a difficult pre-season for Chelsea under their new manager Enzo Maresca, and they were given one of the trickiest tests in their opening game, taking on champions Man City. They fell to a 2-0 loss, with goals from Erling Haaland and Mateo Kovacic condemning them to a defeat.

This run started with a 3-0 win over Club America, as Christopher Nkunku, Marc Guiu and Noni Madueke found the back of the net. This was their only win of pre-season, as they fell to a 4-2 defeat to Man City in the next game. Haaland scored twice in as many minutes to put City ahead, before completing his hat-trick. After going 4-0 down, Chelsea grabbed two back through Raheem Sterling and Madueke.

Another 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid followed, but they ended their preparations with a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge against Inter Milan. Lesley Ugochukwu, who has since departed on loan, grabbed a last-minute equalizer. Before they take on Wolves, Chelsea play Swiss side Servette in the Europa Conference League play-offs on Thursday.

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