Chelsea at Wolves: EPL betting guide and tips

Fortunately for Lampard and his squad, Wolves is one of the easiest remaining opponents on their schedule. Julen Lopetegui hasn’t exactly had the desired effect on his team, winning only five of 14 EPL matches since his appointment during the World Cup break. I have no idea what to expect from this new-look Chelsea side, but if Lampard’s tactics resemble those he deployed during his first stint at the helm, I imagine we’ll see some iteration of a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 with Mason Mount as the attacking CM flanked by N’Golo Kante and Enzo Fernandez in the midfield.

There’s no doubt the Blues’ squad is more talented than their opposition’s, as evidenced by the 3-0 victory at Stamford Bridge in the reverse fixture on October 8. But so much has changed since the early days of this campaign. Making bets is going to be extremely difficult.

Perhaps I made a miscalculation on Tuesday’s picks by taking all overs, especially considering the previous three meetings between Chelsea and Liverpool had all ended in scoreless draws. I won’t repeat that mistake this weekend. I know that the Blues are poor going forward and solid in defense, I just need to bet accordingly. With that being said, I really like under 2.5 total goals at -140 odds.

Wolves is quite literally the worst attacking side in the Premier League, averaging a measly 0.8 goals per match, while the club from that capital isn’t much better at 1.0 goals per contest. These numbers are pretty remarkable considering the talented names on both teams’ squad lists, but the cohesion required to play competent offensive football simply hasn’t materialized. I don’t expect a massive improvement by the weekend, even with a new voice leading the visiting locker room.

A second bet I like for Saturday is draw on the halftime result prop at +100 odds. I’m specifically expecting the contest to go into the break at 0-0, as these two sides are known for sleepwalking through the first 45’ before increasing their effort in the second half. Chelsea has only scored 12 first-half goals this season, which is fewer than Leeds and West Ham and on par with Bournemouth, and Wolves hasn’t scored in an opening interval in over a month. The Blues will probably start the game cautiously considering their recent record at the Molineux, having only won once in four attempts since Wolves returned to the EPL in 2018/19. I’ll admit this play doesn’t have incredible value, but I’m always happy to see a plus sign in front of the number.