The final day of an elongated English Premier League season finally comes to an end on Sunday. Many of the remaining matches have important elements riding on them and, at Stamford Bridge, the clash between Chelsea and Wolves (11am ET Sunday) has a bearing on European qualification.
For Wolverhampton Wanderers, the equation is easy: Win and they guarantee a Europa League slot for 2020/21 but anything less means that they may well miss out. Chelsea have to respond to a heavy defeat at the hands of Liverpool on Wednesday night. It is possible that the Blues can still drop to fifth and miss out on the Champions League places, so this is such a vital game for both teams.
Chelsea vs Wolves Moneyline Odds
Chelsea are favorites to claim all three points on Sunday with odds for Frank Lampard’s men dipping below the +100 line with the foremost sports betting sites for American citizens. The remaining two outcomes are hard to split with some sportsbooks offering +250 (5/2) on the draw and also the away win.
Wolves are a tough team to beat and, across this 2020/21 campaign, they have claimed points from Manchester United, Man City and Spurs. The corresponding fixture in September didn’t quite go according to plan, however, with Chelsea running out 5-2 winners at Molineux.
It is hard to see such a scoreline dropping in this weekend but we do expect Chelsea to edge home and claim the three points. It should be tight and this preview will keep that in mind as we eek out some likely props.
Prop Bets Worth Considering
Chelsea strikers have a narrow advantage in the individual goal scorer markets with Tammy Abraham and Olivier Giroud listed as joint favorites to net first. Reserve forward Michy Batshuayi is only just behind and then we come to Wolves key man, Raul Jimenez.
The one positive for Chelsea in that 5-3 loss to Liverpool was the fact that both Abraham and Giroud found the net. They have been in respectable scoring form since the EPL returned and will pose the most likely threat on Sunday.
Other players to consider at longer odds include Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic and Wolves’ Diogo Jota. Both men have an impressive goal tally from midfield and Pulisic also found the target in Wednesday’s defeat.
Scoring stats are respectable on both sides so we should consider the Both Teams to Score bet. It’s an option at around -130 on the betting lines and with attacking talent in abundance, it is a likely wager, albeit at relatively short odds.
Moving on to total goals, these teams produced seven strikes between them in the reverse fixture while Chelsea were involved in that eight-goal thriller on Wednesday. We may not see quite so much action in front of goal but we would be looking to back over the 3.5 line. Expect to see odds start at +200 (2/1), which holds some value.
Anyone looking for a more volatile bet may want to check out the Correct Score betting for this contest. This Chelsea vs Wolves preview is edging towards a high scoring draw and a 2-2 scoreline can be backed at an average figure of around +1400 (14/1).
If you disagree with our theory, a 3-1 victory in favor of Chelsea is quoted at similar odds while a 2-1 away win can be picked up at slightly lower odds of +1100 (11/1).
Our Betting Preview’s Chelsea vs Wolves Predictions & Picks Verdict
The moneyline bet looks a tough one this week. Chelsea may have the edge but their results since the EPL’s return have been inconsistent and, alongside Wednesday’s defeat, Frank Lampard’s men have also gone down by three goals to nil at Sheffield United. That indicates that they can be vulnerable against the stronger teams and Wolves present a stiff test to anyone.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s team are unbeaten in their last three although they, too, have been victims of Chris Wilder’s impressive Sheffield United side.
USAbetting is backing the draw but, if you’re undecided in regards to the result, you can focus solely on the prop bets. Our feeling is that there will be lots of attacking intent and while a draw would be enough for Chelsea to qualify for the Champions League, they should be looking for the win. With so much quality in attack, it’s a case of the best defense being offense for both teams.
Both Teams to Score would look to be one of the more likely bets of the match. Chelsea have found the net 12 times in their last five games while Wolves have struck six times in the same period. The away team’s stats are more modest but Wolves have scored in each of their last three.
Finally, the match predictions will end with a pick on Olivier Giroud to open the scoring. The French international striker looks more of a threat when he starts games and he comes into Sunday having scored in each of Chelsea’s last three matches. So our Chelsea vs Wolves Predictions for this preview against the bookmakers are:
- Back the draw @ best odds of +276 on the moneyline with 5Dimes.
- Take ‘both teams to score’ @ -130 with Bovada.
- Anticipate Olivier Giroud to score the first goal @ +500 (5/1) with Intertops.
Matt Harris is a golf and soccer expert for USA Betting. His other area of specialist knowledge is cricket. He is well known in sports journalism and contributes articles to a plethora of big-name websites and media outlets. Titles that he writes or has written for include: Betfair, BetVictor, Unibet & Just Bookies.