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Wolves vs Manchester United predictions
- Wolves draw no bet – 10/11 with Betway
- Under 2.5 goals – 11/10 with Betfred
- Mario Lemina over 0.5 shots on target – 15/8 with SpreadEx
Wolves were left feeling very hard done to when they met Manchester United on the opening weekend of the season and get their shot at revenge on Thursday at Molineux (8.15pm, TNT Sports 1).
United were fortunate to claim a 1-0 victory back in August, Raphael Varane converting one of the few chances Erik ten Hag’s men created to snatch all three points.
Wolves registered 2.33 expected goals from 23 shots at Old Trafford, while they were denied a penalty late on when United goalkeeper Andre Onana avoided punishment for clattering into Sasa Kalajdzic in added on time.
There wasn’t much between the two teams on that night and that remains the case when looking at the Premier League table with Wolves three points behind the Red Devils and able to go above them on goal difference with a win.
Wolves enter the fixture unbeaten in seven games in all competitions and fresh off a Black Country derby victory over West Brom in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Manchester United also secured safe passage through to the fifth round of the cup at the weekend, surviving a scare at Newport as they eventually saw off the League Two side 4-2.
That was a rare away success for Ten Hag’s men, who have failed to win any of their last four road games in the league and would appear vulnerable going to Molineux.
Football betting sites are leaning slightly towards the visitors, but there isn’t a great deal in it when assessing the Premier League odds for this fixture with Wolves getting plenty of respect from oddsmakers.
The question now is whether Gary O’Neil’s men can justify that faith from betting sites as we assess our Wolves vs Man Utd predictions.
Wolves can stand their ground
Wolves’ first win at The Hawthorns since 1996 was the latest success for O’Neil in a season where he's already outperformed expectations.
Taking charge a week before the campaign began, his first game as head coach was the defeat at Old Trafford and while his team acquitted themselves well that night, they’ve come on a lot since then.
With 17 games left to play, Wolves are just 10 points shy of last season's points total and may have aspirations of pushing on for Europe, sitting just six points off the top six.
Success at home has been key to Wanderers’ strong season with their last defeat at Molineux being a 3-1 loss to Liverpool on September 16.
Since then, O’Neil’s men have claimed the scalps of Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea at home while securing creditable draws against Aston Villa and Newcastle.
Going to Wolves has become tricky and a United side that’s looked a soft touch at times this season may not be cut out for the challenge.
United’s last Premier League away game ended in a 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest, their fifth top-flight defeat on the road this season.
Their biggest issue has been creating chances with nine goals scored from an expected goals figure of 10.9. Only Sheffield United (5) have managed fewer away goals this season, while the likes of Burnley (10) and Luton (12) have netted more.
They could be without one of their better attacking players in the starting XI at Wolves too, with Marcus Rashford recently disciplined by the club. He’s back training with the squad but might not return to the team straight away, and while he has registered a goal or assist in each of United’s last three league games, his level of involvement at Wolves remains in question.
United have other attacking options, but against a Wolves team that’s kept three clean sheets in the last five games, it’s debatable whether their toothless attack can break down the hosts.
Wolves may face similar issues trying to break down a United team with a bit more steel to it now Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro are back from injury. O’Neil doesn’t have top scorer Hwang Hee-chan to call upon and their attack has looked limited at times, although Pedro Neto is now back to fitness and scored against West Brom.
That’s enough to give pause for thought when weighing up whether to take Wolves to win outright and instead go for a more cautious approach by backing Wolves draw no bet on gambling sites.
Wolves vs Man Utd Tip 1: Wolves draw no bet – 10/11 with Betway
History hints at a lack of goals
August’s 1-0 win for United was the ninth time in the last 10 meetings between these teams that one or both sides have failed to score.
In that time, there have been six games settled by a 1-0 scoreline, while only twice have either Wolves or United scored more than once in a game. Going even further back, 11 of the last 14 meetings have gone under 2.5 goals.
Given United’s recent attacking issues away from home and Wolves having had their own problems going forward at times, this latest encounter looks set to continue that low-scoring trend.
That goes against the grain in the Premier League this season for high scoring games, with seven of Wolves’ 10 home matches producing three or more goals.
But these two teams have a habit of cancelling each other out, failing to provide the type of open game needed for those seeking goals. Taking a chance on under 2.5 goals at 11/10 with Betfred is the preference for our second Wolves vs Man Utd prediction.
Wolves vs Man Utd Tip 2: Under 2.5 goals – 11/10 with Betfred
Lemina liable to try his luck
Only three other sides have allowed more shots on their goal than United (315) this season and while they are unlikely to be peppered by efforts from Wolves, they’ll be some of those in old gold that will fancy their chances.
Amongst them may be Mario Lemina, who, for a defensive midfielder by trade, has shown a different side to his game this year, scoring four goals and recording the third most shots on goal amongst Wolves players.
Lemina had three shots at Old Trafford earlier in the season, albeit none were on target. But he’s since gone on to register at least one shot on target in 11 of his next 19 games, including in each of his last two appearances.
He’s had six shots on target across his last seven home games and is worth considering at 15/8 with SpreadEx to test the returning Onana in the United goal.
Wolves vs Man Utd Tip 3: Mario Lemina over 0.5 shots on target – 15/8 with SpreadEx
How to get a free bet for Wolves vs Man Utd
Thursday’s clash at Molineux is the final game of the midweek round of Premier League matches. However, there’s still time to grab a free bet ahead of kick-off between Wolves and Man Utd with these new betting sites.
Parimatch are currently offering new customers £30 in free bets to use on football when they open an account.
To qualify, click this link to open a Parimatch account, deposit a minimum of £10 via a debit card and wager £10 on football at odds of evens (2.0) or greater.
Remember to always read the terms and conditions before signing up with a bookmaker and if you are betting on any football this week, always gamble responsibly.
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Last Updated: 14th March 2024, 07:22 AM
