Chelsea vs Wolves: Premier League betting guide

If only every day as a Chelsea supporter could feel like Wednesday did. The Blues dominated AC Milan for nearly 90’ in their must-win Champions League group stage match. The 3-0 victory was undoubtedly the team’s best overall performance of the season with standout shifts in defense, midfield, and attack. Reece James is the obvious player to highlight given he received Man of the Match honors, but I was seriously impressed with all 16 players who took part in the game, as well as Graham Potter. For the first time in a long time, it feels like there’s some momentum sweeping around west London.

Saturday’s contest with Wolves is an obvious trap game for the Blues ahead of another incredibly important clash with the Rossoneri midweek. This is probably the best time to play the Midlands side in recent memory, though, as it’s in absolute shambles. Wolves currently sits 18th in the Premier League table and just sacked its former manager, Bruno Lage, last Sunday. The team is also in the midst of a player selection crisis, with Nathan Collins and Ruben Neves suspended and Sasa Kalajdic and Pedro Neto both suffering from long-term injuries. I haven’t felt particularly confident betting in favor of Chelsea for most of this young season, but this feels like a solid opportunity to do so successfully.

The bookmakers at FanDuel evidently agree with me, as CFC are heavily favored at -260 on the moneyline. I don’t love the value on that play by itself, but it could be a solid leg of a parlay. I’m actually leaning towards betting against the spread for the first time in the campaign, with CFC -1 at +120 odds. Wednesday was the 2020/21 European champions’ first win by multiple goals of the season, so there’s a chance I’m buying too much into one result. My confidence in the west London club has much more to do with Wolves’ current disorganization and lack of quality players than anything I saw against Milan, though.

While Chelsea’s goal output against the Rossoneri grabbed all the headlines, the team’s defensive performance was equally deserving of praise. Kalidou Koulibaly, Thiago Silva, Wesley Fofana, and Trevoh Chalobah all played well in the back three to secure the Blues’ first clean sheet since August 6. Wolves’ largest issue in 2022/23 has been finding the back of the net, with only three goals scored in eight Premier League matches. Another Blues clean sheet doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility, especially considering the opposition’s injuries and suspensions, so I’d keep an eye on the both teams to not score prop at -138.

Official Chelsea odds (via FanDuel as of October 7)

Chelsea ML: -260

Wolves ML: +700

Draw: +380

Over/Under: 2.5 (-116/-106)

My picks:

I’ve mentioned it many times since the beginning of our betting guide series, but making picks with the heart is always a dangerous proposition. It’s even more dangerous when you start chasing the plus juice with your favorite teams. Regardless, I’ll be doing just that this weekend and go full Chelsea homer with my picks for the match against Wolves.

Give me +120 odds on Chelsea -1, as well as the both teams to NOT score prop at -138. Both of these bets have solid value, so I’ll back something safer with my last selection. The Blues over 1.5 total goals at -184 odds fits the bill exactly. A second consecutive dominant performance is exactly what the pride of west London needs as the World Cup rapidly approaches. Hopefully, my wallet can benefit from one as well.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.