Wolves

Wigan V Wolves

Wigan Preview: Well, Roberto Martinez got Wigan safe in some kind of style. They, along with Newcastle, are the Premier League’s most in form team over the last eight matches. The Latics have ran up six wins in their last eight matches, scoring big wins over Liverpool, Man Utd, Arsenal and Newcastle along the way. It has been wonderfully inspiring stuff, and all their hard work has led them to the final match of the season, which for them, has no importance what so ever. While that is usually a disappointment, for Wigan, it is great reward for sticking to their playing style and they can relax on Sunday. This looked as if it was going to be a mightily important relegation fixture on the final day, it’s not, Wigan are safe, Wolves are down, so it is entertainment value only.

Wigan have a W4 D7 L7 home record for the season and they only just average over one goal per game. They are not a high scoring team by any stretch of the imagination and really lack an out and out striker. Still, they have won their last three home matches, and are unbeaten in their last four on home soil. It should be good enough to end the season on a good high against Wolves.

Wolves Preview: Wolves haven’t won in their last thirteen matches in the Premier League and were the first to bite the bullet of having to play Championship football next season. Terry Connor really hasn’t delivered the goods after taking over from Mick McCarthy, and for some reason he is surprised that he wasn’t given the job full time. Instead former Cologne boss Stale Solbakken was named a next permanent boss and the Norwegian will take over in July. Wolves have drawn their last two away matches, but they haven’t won on the road in their last six attempts now. They have ran up three draws in their last four Premier League matches, so a little fight has come, but it was all little late. Wolves have a W2 D7 L9 away record for the season and have conceded at a rate of two goals per game.

Odds: Wigan 8/13, Draw 3/1, Wolves 5/1 at BetFair

Form (most recent result last): Wigan WWLWW, Wolves LDLDD

Stat Attack:

Wolves haven’t won in the last thirteen Premier League matches
Wolves haven’t scored in four of their last five matches
Wigan (jointly with Newcastle) are the EPL’s form side with 18 points in the last eight games
Wolves have only taken 3 points from the last eight games

Recommended Bet: Wigan should be able to round out the season on a high, as they look full of confidence in securing their Premier League status for next season. It has been a great job from them, and therefore would entertain a Wigan -1 Asian Handicap for Evens at Paddy Power

Wolves V Everton

Wolves Preview: The relegated Wolves put up a decent showing last week, as they battled back from 3-0 down to earn themselves a point away at Swansea. It was a cracking game, and Wolves were full value for their entertaining approach. It looked as if, knowing that their fate was sealed, they just were just trying to enjoy the game, and they did that. Wolves are still without a win in their last twelve matches in the Premier League, and stretching out the grim news, they have managed just one in the last twenty two. So they will round out their home campaign with a match against Everton and no doubt, Terry Connor’s men will want to have one last hurrah and finally give their long suffering fans something to shout about. So this match has no bearing whatsoever on Wolves’ season, they are going to finish bottom no matter what.

At home this season, Wolves have managed just a W3 D2 L13 record, and they are without a win in the last 11 home games. They have conceded in their last seventeen games at home, and they have failed to find the back of the net in their last two. Terry Connor’s men only average just over a goal per game this season but they have shipped, on average, 2.38 goals per game at home. There has been just one clean sheet all season. Wolves have not managed a goal in the first fifteen minutes of a game this season, and one of the big reasons they have struggled for points is that they have only scored first in 22% of all their games this term. Steven Fletcher is top scorer with eleven, and he will lead the line trying to gain revenge for a 2-1 defeat at Goodison Park.

Everton Preview: Just one more win will probably be enough to secure Everton seventh place in the league, and more importantly, finish above Liverpool. David Moyes men continued their solid form last week, when they earned themselves a draw at the Britannia Stadium against Stoke. Everton have been quite a bright spark over the second half of the season, and they head into the weekend three points ahead of Liverpool in the league standings, with a superior goal difference. So it has been another successful season when all things are taken into perspective, as David Moyes has worked wonders with a limited budget and turned Everton in the best side outside of the top six. They head to Molineux on a seven match unbeaten streak in the league, and they have been carrying some good goalscoring form to boot.

Everton have bagged themselves 19 goals in their last seven league matches, and that is not something you often say about the Toffees. They went on a three match streak of scoring four goals per game, as they thumped Sunderland and Fulham and earned a 4-4 draw at Old Trafford. The Toffees also have good away form at the moment, unbeaten in their last four and just one defeat on the road in their last eight road trips. They have drawn all three of their last away matches and because of the fervour with which Wolves may come at them, that may be a predictable result on Sunday. But Everton are, head and shoulders, the better side of the two and will be favourites to pick up three points. All that they have to play for is that seventh place finish but that should be enough motivation to put in a good, solid away performance. Striker Nikica Jelavic is the man to look out for in your goalscorer markets. He has four in the last three.

Odds: Everton 8/11, Draw 5/2, Wolves 4/1 at Paddy Power

Form (most recent result last): Wolves LLDLD, Everton DWDWD

Stat Attack:

Everton have not lost in their last five matches against Wolves
Wolves have picked up just eleven points from their eighteen home matches so far
Wolves have conceded the most amount of shots in the EPL
Nikica Jelavic has eight goals in eight starts for Everton

Recommended Bet: There should be a lot of spirit shown by Wolves you would imagine as they try and finish the season at home with a bang. It is still a tough match for them, and they are likely to concede goals with their weak defence. Everton have something to play for and would expect them to edge this one. Probably worth looking at an Everton 1 Goal Winning Margin for 11/4 at Bet365.

Swansea V Wolves

Swansea Preview: This fixture is going to be all about the Swans, as they push for a top ten finish. Swansea have been one of the bright sparks this season, and truly, if they could turn the amount of possession they have into goals, they would be challenging for Europe. However, Swansea are looking just a bit lightweight up front, and they have done so over the last third of the season. Their style of football is to be commended and they completely dominated their previous game against Bolton, but again it was a case of just not converting into goals. The Swans could only manage a 1-1 draw when they should have had more. They need someone with just an extra touch of quality up front to really make a big leap forward. But Brendan Rodgers will be eyeing up this fixture against the already relegated Wolves, to use as a springboard for a strong finish. There are now rumours that Spurs may not offer a new contract to Harry Redknapp, but will pounce for Brendan Rodgers in the summer.

The Swans have ran up a W7 D6 L4 home record for the season, but their recent home form at the Liberty Stadium has been a shadow of what it was over the first half. Swansea have lost three of their five at home now, but did bounce back from two consecutive defeats on home soil, to down Blackburn 3-0 in their last home match. So unquestionably, Swansea play some of the best football in the Premier League, but they could just do with an extra punch up front. Because they play an open game, they are prone to being caught out at the back, but generally they can control a game and that is what should put them in good standing against Wolves. The Swans came away from Wolves with a 2-2 draw earlier in the season, but the two clubs have taken much different routes since them. Swansea have conceded on average just 0.82 goals per game at home and that should be more than enough to keep Wolves out. Going forward Swansea average 1.29 goals per game, with Danny Graham leading the way with 10 goals.

Wolves Preview: Terry Connor couldn’t rescue Wolves after Mick McCarthy had gotten the boot. Their season and survival hopes came to an end last weekend, when Manchester City turned up at Molineux and won 2-0. That condemned Wolves to Championship football for next season, and for a team without a win in eleven matches now, it is no surprise. Wolves have fought over the past couple of matches, but they just haven’t had the quality to get out of trouble. Wolves haven’t found the back of the net in their last three matches now, which hasn’t helped their case. Meanwhile, at the back, they have continued to leak very slack goals. They have conceded seventeen goals in their last seven league matches now. So they really aren’t any kind of force and although you would imagine they should play for a bit of pride, Swansea are, head and shoulders, a better side. Wolves have won just two away matches all season.

Odds: Swansea 4/7, Draw 3/1, Wolves 5/1 at Paddy Power

Form (most recent result last): Swansea LLLWD, Wolves LLLDL

Stat Attack:

• Wolves have blown 20 points from winning positions this season (a league high)
• Swansea have conceded the fewest amount of fouls
• Wolves have only lost one of the last nine against Swansea
• Wolves haven’t scored in the first fifteen minutes of a match this season

Recommended Bet: With all sensibility, Swansea should win. Sure Wolves may be relaxed now that the pressure is off, but the Swans have a lot more to offer, and a one goal winning margin for Brendan Rodgers’ men is trading at 11/4 with SkyBet.

Wolves V Manchester City

Wolves Preview: Can anyone say relegation? Four games left to go on the season and nine points behind 17^th placed QPR (ten points when you consider Wolves’ horrible plus/minus compared to QPR). So mathematically they have a chance to stay up, but realistically, they are relegated. The Wolves board to replace Mick McCarthy with Terry Connor has backfired in the worst way, they will be playing Championship football next season. It is not all down to the man in charge of course, there just hasn’t been enough quality through the squad to sustain Premiership status. Wolves did earn a point in their last league outing, which was away at Sunderland. That has been their only point in the last eight matches. It also signalled the second game in a row where they failed to score.

Wolves lost 3-1 away at Manchester City earlier in the season, but they haven’t found any comfort at home to suggest that they will reverse that loss. Wolves have just a W3 D2 L12 record for the season at Molineux, and just make worse reading, they have lost their last eight in a row there. Their last win on home soil came back at the start of last December. Since then, Wolves have won just one match in twenty. They average just one goal per game exactly for the entire season, and at home they are conceding on average nearly two and a half goals per game. Terrible stats and it should convert into a condemning defeat on Sunday as well.

Manchester City Preview: Are the Citizens clinging to any hope of overturning the five point deficit they have behind Manchester United? Can they really be hoping for another shot at the tile. Realistically no, because it would involve Manchester United dropping points and Roberto Mancini’s men running out a perfect finish to the season. There is the big Manchester derby still to come, but unless City pick up a win on Sunday, any chances of that derby having any significance will have dissipated. After realistically seeing their title chances disappear in a defeat against Arsenal at the start of April, City have relaxed a lot more in their play, and they have produced two destructive performances since then. Now the pressure of the title has gone, they have gotten back to their old selves.

They crushed West Brom 4-0 and them thumped Norwich 6-1 away last weekend, with Carlos Tevez netting a hat-trick. So ten goals in two matches is the Manchester City which we have come to appreciate. Those two wins have been their only triumphs in the last five league matches, and that is where their title challenge has come undone. But they can put the title out of their mind and just concentrate on a strong finish to the season City have had problems on the road for most of the second half of the season, as they have won just two of their last ten away matches, and surprisingly they have really struggled for goals. They seemed to have turned that around last week though, with Tevez and Sergio Aguero on song. City are averaging two goals per game away from home, which is still pretty handing, and they concede on average one goal per away game. But they are going up a Wolves defence which has looked embarrassing at times, and full of defensive errors. It is a match in which City’s power up front should produce another solid win for them.

Odds: Man City 2/89, Draw 11/2, Wolves 11/1 at Bet365

Form (most recent result last): Wolves LLLLD, Man City DDLWW

Stat Attack:
There have been four penalties in the last six EPL matches between these two (all to the away side)
Edin Dzeko has three goals in two games against Wolves this season
Carlos Tevez has four in three EPL matches against Wolves
Wolves have not kept a clean sheet at home this season
Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero have started 3 EPL matches this season, and have produced 11 goals between them in those three.

Recommended Bet: Well, realistically it should be all one way traffic coming from the Manchester crew. Wolves may be clinging to their very last thread of survival, but City look to have gotten back into their groove. Tevez and Aguero are looking lethal, and you just wonder what would have happened if Tevez had been around for the whole season. Would take either Tevez or Aguero to Score 2 Or more at 7/2 with Bet365. Both have scored four goals in the last two matches.

Sunderland V Wolves

Sunderland Preview: A very solid, average team would be the way to sum up Sunderland, who have been a bit Jekyll and Hyde with their home and away form. Martin O’Neill’s Black Cats haven’t won in their last four matches, and went down 4-0 against Everton at Goodison Park in the week. When you allow Everton to score four past you, then you know something is wrong. That was the second game in a row in which Sunderland failed to score, and the defeat at Goodison was a surprise because it came after two good draws against Manchester City and Tottenham. So you never quite know just what you are going to get from Sunderland at the moment, but their home form at the Stadium of Light has at least been pretty consistent since O’Neill took over there. While Sunderland are a bit unpredictable, at least you can look to the positive pointers of their home form to weigh up your betting options here.

The Black Cats have lost just one game at home in their last nine, and therefore still make a decent bet here. They were poor at the start of the season, which resulted in Steve Bruce getting the boot, and while their overall home record stands at W7 D5 L4 for the season, all of the positives have come since O’Neill started his reign. The Black Cats have been prone to those major collapsed, but they are a different side at the Stadium of Light. They do need some help up front, but Larsson, Sessegnon and Bendtner are all stuck on seven for the season. At home, Sunderland are averaging 1.5 goals per game and they are conceding under a goal per game there on average. The Black Cats are undefeated in their last three at home, and you would expect that Martin O’Neill will be demanding a response after their Goodison Park horror show. There is also a 2-1 defeat at Molineux to redress as well.

Wolves Preview: Well, there really is not too much left to say about Wolves, who are on a seven match losing streak. The decision to replace Mick McCarthy with Terry Connor certainly hasn’t paid off at all. Wolves lost 3-0 at the Emirates against Arsenal in midweek at home, and there just isn’t any where to look where you can find positives for them. They are rooted to the bottom of the table, without much hope and would need to earn seven points just to climb out of the drop zone (assuming neither Bolton or Blackburn picked up points). While fingers have been pointed at Wolves’ lack of threat pushing forward, even though Steven Fletcher has done the best he can, there has been some horrible defending, which has kept getting them into trouble time and time again. They have conceded 22 goals in their last seven league matches, which over three goals per game. Sunderland aren’t a terrific side going forward, more hard working through the middle of the park than anything, but Wolves just don’t look as if they are anywhere near to having a win in them.

Odds: Sunderland 1/2, Draw 17/5, Wolves 13/2 at Bet Victor

Form (most recent result last): Sunderland LWDDL, Wolves LLLLL

Stat Attack:

Wolves have triumphed in their last four meetings against Sunderland
In the last eleven meetings, both sides have scored in every game
Wolves striker Steven Fletcher has three in two games against the Black Cats
Sunderland have a W6 D2 L1 record at home under Martin O’Neill

Recommended Bet: Don’t expect Sunderland to really come out and run riot, they need to make sure they pick up the win, or else a home defeat against Wolves wouldn’t sit well. Therefore a getting-the-job-done one goal winning margin for the Black Cats is priced at 11/4 with Bet365.

Wolves V Arsenal

Wolves Preview: Wolves just are not getting the breaks they need and after blowing a 1-0 lead at Stoke on the weekend, going down 2-1 in the match thanks to some more woeful defending, Terry Connor’s men are down and out. They are six points adrift of the three other main relegation threatened teams above them, but since terry Connor took over from the sacked Mick McCarthy, Wolves have yet to win a game. Their defeat on Saturday constituted their sixth straight loss in the league and they are just defensively digging such big holes for themselves. They conceded soft goals to let Stoke back into the game, and with just one point in their last eight matches, Championship football looks to be heading their way quickly.

Granted Wolves have been fighting back after not being able to find the net, and they are getting on the score-sheet one way or another, but their defence just cannot close out a game. Even when they hit two against Bolton at home recently, they went and conceded three. That is the way it is for Wolves right now, and a match against Arsenal is not one that looks as if it is going to bring too many rewards. Wolves did earn a 1-1 draw at The Emirates earlier in the season though with Steven Fletcher grabbing a point for them. Wolves are trying, and while they have looked completely disorganised and lost at times, certain players are standing up and giving it their all. The wide players seem to be showing some gusto, but the quality up front and through the middle is poor for Wolves. With seven straight home losses in the league now, it looks very gloomy for Wolves.

Arsenal Preview: If only the Gunners had produced this kind of form from the start of the season, they may well have been contenders to win the Premier League title. They scored a huge 1-0 over Manchester City, handing the league title to Manchester United, and pushing forward themselves for a top three finish. There has been eight wins in the last nine matches now for the Gunners, and three of their last four away games have produced wins as well. They have been great since February, and this strong run of form has turned around their season. Their only defeat down this stretch did actually come in their last away match, which was at relegation threatened QPR, when the Gunners went down 2-1 in a surprise result. However, the Gunners have arguably been one of the best teams in the Premier League over the past six weeks.

Arsene Wenger’s men have tightened things up in defence greatly since the start of the season, and they have kept three clean sheets in their last four matches now. That result against QPR looks to be a bit of hiccup and nothing else, and you would expect them to go to Molineux and get a result. Arsenal’s away form hasn’t been as good as their home run this season, with a W7 D2 L7 record, but they have lost just one of their last five, picking up wins in that run away at Sunderland, Everton and Liverpool, so they have come through tough matches. Robin van Persie is still without a goal in four games now, so he has to be due one soon. The Gunners just look a solid unit at the moment, they still aren’t at their very best, but they are far better than Wolves are. Arsenal hold a two point advantage over Spurs now in the race for third and they won’t want to let that slip in a match like this.

Odds: Arsenal 4/9, Draw 10/3, Wolves 6/1 at BetFair

Form (most recent result last): Wolves LLLLL, Arsenal WWWLW

Stat Attack:
Arsenal have kept three clean sheets in four matches now
The Gunners have scored in each of their last nine matches
Wolves have only kept one clean sheet at home in the league this season
Wolves haven’t won in eight matches

Recommended Bet: Well, Arsenal are the strong favourites, without much doubt here in the betting. They will be lifted after their important win over Manchester City on Sunday, and will look to follow it up with a solid win. Form is all with Arsenal, while Wolves continue to scrap for their lives. Class should win out on the day, and Arsenal -1.25 for Evens at Bet365 is decent enough for an away side.

Stoke City V Wolves

Stoke City Preview: Tony Pulis will have been extremely frustrated with his side’s performance against Wigan in their last outing. They went down 2-0 against the Latics, which was disappointing because it had come on the back of draws against both Spurs and Manchester City. So that was a game they should have won, but that defeat has left them without a win in four matches now. They have lost six of the last ten, winning just two matches in that period. It has left Stoke as another side in the bottom half of the table who are not offering a lot of inspiration at the moment. They are in a bit of limbo, too good for relegation and not good enough to be chasing a top six place. However, they are only five points back from seventh placed Everton, that is how tight the middle of the table is.

Can they rediscover their winning ways? They should be good for their money against Wolves who look down and out. Stoke have only lost four home matches all season, holding a W6 d5 L4 record at the moment. Reading into their home form in a little more detail, they have won two and drawn one of their last three, so they are strong enough to produce. However, Stoke struggle and have to work hard tog et on the score-sheet, and only once in the last eleven Premier League matches have they managed more than one goal in a game. The fire-power just isn’t there, and they have only score 19 at home in their fifteen home games. They have only conceded at a rate of one per game, so matches at the Britannia are pretty tight. Can they find their boots to take down Wolves’ fragile defence?

Wolves Preview: There does not look as if there is any way in which Wolves are going to avoid relegation this season. They have been cut six points adrift now at the foot of the table, and they have lost their last five matches on the bounce. Even when they do get on the score-sheet, they have not had the defence to hold out, as seen in their last match, a 3-2 home defeat against Bolton. That left Wolves conceding 24 goals in their last seven matches, a terrible stat, and there has been just one point gained in a draw at Newcastle in that run of seven matches. There has been just one win in the last seventeen for Wolves now, and they are pretty much out of time to fight back. Even matches like this against a mid table side who aren’t in particularly good form looks daunting. Wolves have won just two on the road this season, drawn five and lost eight. Away from home they have conceded two goals per game on average, while they have scored under one goal per game on their travels. Their last two away matches have both produced defeats for them and even the scoring touch of Steven Fletcher can’t seem to pull them out of the hole which they are in. If they drop further points this weekend, then it should be curtains because they have to go Arsenal next.

Odds: Stoke 8/13, Draw 14/5, Wolves 9/2 at SkyBet

Form (most recent result last): Stoke WLDDW, Wolves LLLLL

Stat Attack:

Stoke have been defeated just once in their last nine against Wolves
Stoke’s home form has a great pattern of LLWWDDLLWWD – so they could be due a draw!
There has been just one win in the last fourteen away games for Wolves
Stoke have managed the lowest total of shots on goal in the EPL this season

Recommended Bet: Well, you have to consider Wolves here and their woeful form. Yes, they keep going but they keep getting knocked down even when they find the back of the net in a game. Stoke are stubborn enough to shut them out, but Stoke aren’t great in front of goal. Would therefore take Stoke -1 Asian Handicap for 11/10 at Paddy Power, because Wolves give goals away.

Wolves V Bolton

Wolves Preview: Can Terry Connor produce something miraculous now for Wolves? There has been just one win in their last sixteen Premier League matches now, and survival seems a very long way off. They are in terrible shape and terrible form and don’t look as if they have enough in their squad to stay up. There has been four straight defeats in a row now for Wolves in the league, and worryingly they have scored just one goal in those four matches. Having collected just one point from the last fifteen available, Wolves find themselves rooted to the bottom of the table and are in danger of being cut adrift. They are already four points from safety, and Saturday’s big relegation battle against Bolton could be a huge factor in their Premier League fate. A loss would leave them seven points behind the Trotters having played a game more and almost certain to be playing in the Championship next season

The fight truthfully does look as if it has gone out of Wolves since Mick McCarthy got the sack. They have conceded twenty one goals in their last six matches, fourteen in their last four. It is a terrible defensive record and there is no organisation or strength back there and they are getting punished Wolves home record stands at W3 D2 L10 for the season and they are conceding at a rate of 2.33 goals per game and are nowhere near matching that going forward. They did earn a 1-1 draw at the Reebok Stadium earlier in the season but although the players seems as if they are behind Terry Connor, they must almost know that their fate is sealed. Another defeat on Saturday and Wolves will see their Premier League lifeline slip away, and they just don’t look as if they have it in them to win. They have lost their last six home matches in a row, conceding twenty goals and scoring just four.

Bolton Preview: We know about the emotional times at Bolton at the moment, but it wasn’t enough to see them past Spurs at White Hart Lane in the FA Cup midweek. They may not care too much, because Owen Coyle has to put complete value on league results right now. The Trotters though have found a bit of form with back to back wins, and they have a game in hand over the other four relegation candidates. Bolton are one point clear of the drop zone and like Blackburn and Wigan are picking up valuable points where Wolves are not. Importantly, Bolton’s two recent wins have come against their fellow relegation candidates, QPR and Blackburn, which were massive triumphs for the Trotters. But both of those results came at home.

Bolton on the road though are a different matter, having lost their last four away matches straight. So while there is a silver lining for them, they have to work hard, and three points against Wolves, still maintaining that game in the hand will be enormous. QPR have a tough game against Arsenal this weekend, while Blackburn face Manchester United. So this is a massive opportunity for Owen Coyle and Bolton. They have to be favourites to take three points though, because Wolves just look a bit dead and buried. Bolton’s away record reads W4 D0 L10 for the season, but are without a win in four. Bolton average one goal per game away from home, but that is all it could take to pick up three points against Wolves.

Odds: Wolves 13/10, Bolton 2/1, Draw 12/5 at Bet365

Form (most recent result last): Wolves DLLLL, Bolton LLLWW

Stat Attack:

• Bolton have a great record against Wolves, winning seven and losing one of the last ten
• Wolves have just one win in the last sixteen EPL matches
• Wolves have picked up just one points from the last 24 available at home
• Wolves have lost six straight at home, Bolton have lost four straight away from home

Recommended Bet: Terrible away form v terrible home form. Normally in these circumstances you would take a leaning towards the home side, but Wolves are getting pummelled at the moment, and Bolton’s back to back wins tip things in their favour. A one goal winning margin for Bolton fetches 4/1 at Bet365.

Norwich V Wolves

Norwich Preview: The Canaries are just ceding some ground to the middle pack in the Premier League at the moment, as they are on a run of four matches without a win. Three of those matches have ended in defeat, and Norwich just have not been taking their chances. Their most recent match was a 1-0 defeat at Newcastle, and those three losses mentioned have all been by one goal margins. So they are pushing hard, but just can’t break down the door to three points at the moment. Norwich are getting themselves on the score sheet, but they aren’t doing enough at the back to take points. The Canaries should up safe at the end of the season, by boss Paul Lambert really needs to inject just a little more confidence into their game.

Norwich do play a smart game, the quality just lacks at the end of the day, but they do look pretty entertaining going forward. A match here against the struggling Wolves really should not be another missed opportunity to pick up three points. Norwich have done well at home this season, winning five, drawing five and losing four. They average a healthy 1.5 goals per match at home, and their rate of concession is just below that number. There has been no win in the last two home games for Norwich, which resulted in a harsh last minute defeat against Man Utd, and a wasted opportunity against Wigan. Norwich just need to be better than that, they are a better side than Wolves, and should put this match to bed in a relatively comfortable fashion. They have the edge up front definitely, with Grant Holt worth looking at in your goalscorer markets.

Wolves Preview: Not sure where Wolverhampton are going to go from here. Bottom of the league and three straight losses, Wolves are the firm favourites to take the drop. They were humiliated again last week, when Manchester United showed up and ran out 5-0 winners. That was the second 5-0 defeat in three matches for Wolves in the league. It means that in in this run of three straight defeats, Wolves have conceded twelve goals without response. The fight does look to have gone out of them at the moment, and with just one win in their last fifteen, three pointers certainly are at a premium right now. Still, things are so tight at the bottom, a couple of good results could see them in with a fighting chance.

This is the kind of fixture where they have to get points off. Norwich aren’t in great form themselves, and Wolves need value survival points. Wolves have scored just thirteen goals on the road this season, and concede on average two per game on their travels. With just one clean sheet all season away from home, you expect them to concede because their defence is all over the place, with no immediate fix in place. Steven Fletcher remains their most likely route to goal, but there just isn’t the support there. There was a 2-2 draw between these two earlier in the season, and how much would Wolves love a point from the return fixture?

Odds: Norwich 8/11, Draw 11/4, Wolves 4/1 at Bet365

Form (most recent result last): Norwich WLLDL, Wolves LDLLL

Stat Attack:

• There have been a total of 17 goals in the last three matches between these two
• Norwich have only won one of the last twelve league matches against Wolves
• Wolves have earned one point out of the last fifteen available
• Norwich have earned one point of the last twelve available

Recommended Bet: Would expect the superior class of Norwich going forward to win out in this one, especially at Carrow Road, where they have put in some good performances this season. There should be goals in this match, and would look at a Norwich -0.75 Asian Handicap for Evens at Bet365

Wolves v Manchester United

Wolves preview: This isn’t the type of fixture that the struggling Wolves need right now. They took a huge blow in a relegation battle match at home against Blackburn in their last match, a game which they lost two nil. On top of that it was pretty comfortable win for Blackburn at that, which has left Wolves really reeling. There has only been one win for Wolves now in their last fourteen Premier League starts, and in their last seven matches, five of them have ended in defeat. Just before that run, they had strung together a few results which suggested that they might be able to scrap their way out of trouble. While Mick McCarthy got the boot, fans are starting to wonder if getting rid of the man who kept them up last season by the skin of their teeth, was a good decision or not. Hosting the league leaders is just about the worst fixture they could draw at the moment. Wolves will be heavy underdogs in this match, and they suffered a 4-1 reverse at Old Trafford earlier in the season. Can Wolves play their way out of trouble? It looks unlikely because they don’t have enough goals in them, and their defence has been leaking goals left right and centre.

In the last four league matches alone, Wolves have scored three and conceded fourteen. A huge discrepancy. There have been just three home wins for Wolves this season, and the suffering fans have had to sit through nine defeats at Molinuex. There has been no win in seven now for them, and they have conceded a goal in each of their last thirteen home matches. Back on the goal scoring front, Wolves have scored seventeen home goals, but they are conceding at over a rate of two per game, which is not the kind of defensive record which you want to try and stand up against Manchester United. One thing to note about Wolves matches, is that they have only managed to score first in 18% of their games this season, which mean they have to play their way out of trouble most of the time, which is never a strong position. However, fans may recall that shock 2-1 win over the Red Devils in this fixture last season. They look a long way short of having that grit at the moment.

Manchester United Preview: Following the joy of taking top spot in the Premier League back from Manchester City, United came back down to earth on Thursday night, when they were dumped out of the Europa League by Athletic Bilbao. It wasn’t just the exit though, it was the manner of it. The Red Devils were totally outplayed by a very strong and creative Spanish side, and it looked as if there was a huge gulf in class. But that defeat has at least left Manchester United with only the Premier League title to focus on now, and that will probably make them even more dangerous. You just expect Manchester United to produce something of a response for Sir Alex Ferguson after the European fiasco this season. United are in very strong form in the Premier League, winning seven and drawing one of their last eight matches. There doesn’t seem to be any stopping them at the moment, and with the wobbles of Man City and with United having an easier run in than their rivals, the league title may well be heading back to Old Trafford.

United have produced a pretty incredible away season, in stark contrast to the last campaign. United have rattled off ten wins, three draws and just one defeat. That equates to a 71% success rate on the road, and they are scoring over two goals per game on average. It has been their very strong defence though which has made their life even easier, keeping six lean sheets away from Old Trafford this season. There is nothing wrong with United’s away from, winning three and drawing one of their last four away. That draw was the remarkable comeback from 3-0 down at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea. United just have incredible fire-power in their ranks, and while their game looked lost in Europe this season, it is still one of the best to cope with the more physical rigours of the English Premier League. In contrast to Wolves poor stats in getting on the score sheet first, Manchester United have opened the scoring in 82% of their matches this season.

Odds: Man Utd 4/11, Draw 17/4, Wolves 9/1 at Bet Victor

Form (most recent result last): Wolves WLDLL, Man Utd DWWWW

Stat Attack:
Wolves have produced just one win in their last fourteen games
Wayne Rooney is firing on all cylinders with seven goals in his last four EPL games
Wolves have conceded more shots on goal than any other Premier League team this season
Wolves have won two of seven Premier League matches against United

Recommended Bet: All in all, it should be a comfortable win for United because Wolves have looked down and out, as if they have nothing left to give. There has to be goals on offer for United here, so worth looking at a -1.50 Asian Handicap for 5/4 at Bet365