Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Everton verdict, predicted score, key stats and suggested bets

Everton could take a giant leap towards Premier League safety on Saturday if they can get past a Wolves side at Molineux.

2023-05-18Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Everton verdict, predicted score, key stats and suggested bets

Everton could in fact find themselves safe on Monday if they can get past Wolves and if both Leeds and Leicester fail to earn wins on Sunday and Monday respectively.

Date, KO time and TV coverage

Premier League, Saturday May 20, Kick-off 3pm

Predicted score

Suggested betting tips

Key stats

Wolves have won the last three meetings between the sides

Wolves have seen over 2.5 goals in their last four home matches against Everton in all competitions

There have been over 2.5 goals scored in Everton's last four PL games

Wolves have won their last four PL home games without conceding a goal

Everton have lost just one of their last six away games in the PL (v Man Utd)

Everton have won just twice away in the PL, but one of those was their last away game at Brighton (5-1)j

Everton/Wolves team news

Wolves have no new injuries, but could rotate their XI. Adama Traore, Daniel Podence, Joao Gomes and Hugo Bueno will be hoping to start, as well as Raul Jimenez. Dan Bentley will be hoping to continue in goal at Jose Sa's expense.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin (groin) is a doubt so Demarai Gray is on standby. Vitaly Mykolenko missed the Man City defeat and is a doubt, while Conor Coady cannot face his parent club. Mason Holgate could start. Andros Townsend, Dele Alli, Ruben Vinagre, Ben Godfrey and Seamus Coleman are all missing

Verdict

Molineux hosts an intriguing clash on Saturday with relegation-threatened Everton facing a crucial match against already-safe Wolves.

Wolves should be on the beach after ensuring their survival for another season and Julen Lopetegui is planning big changes in the summer. It could well be a last hurrah for many at Molineux this weekend, but Lopetegui is expected to rotate his squad.

Everton meanwhile have plenty at stake and know a win will go a long way to keeping them up. There's no doubt that one team will be trying to the death and the other might just have taken their foot off the gas. Bookies often overreact with their prices in these situations and we might well have expected the desperate Toffees to be shorter than 6/4.

Wolves though have been excellent at home since the turn of the year and Lopetegui has got some big ideas for the men in gold next season.

Four home wins on the spin without conceding a goal fired Wolves to safety with three games to go. They lost their first game since safety, away at Manchester United, but at Molineux Wolves have been superb.

Chelsea, Brentford, Villa and Palace have all been brushed aside, but it has been nearly 54 years since Wolves last won five successive top-flight home matches with five clean sheets. Whether they will have the desire to smash that record is up for debate, but two notable home losses came against strugglers Bournemouth and Leeds United.

Everton are of that ilk and have been dreadful away from home this season. Sean Dyche has though given them hope on their travels and they have lost just once in six away games - at Man Utd.

They have chalked up some notable points at Forest, Leicester, Chelsea and Palace and another draw could prove to be a good point. But Dyche's men will be going to win and looking at their recent 5-1 success at Brighton there is no reason why they cannot return to Merseyside with three points.

They set their stall out early at Brighton and scored after 30 seconds and then just picked Brighton off in transition. They could employ similar tactics against Wolves, while also trying to impose themselves from corners and free-kicks.

What is a given is that there will be no inch given by Everton under Dyche and the over 42.5 booking points is worth a play at 3/4. There were seven bookings in the fixture at Goodison and Wolves top the table for bookings with 79 yellows and six reds, while Everton are not far behind with 77 bookings and two sendings off.

Goals could well be at a premium and going under 2.5 looks the way forward, with Everton wary of going behind. They have won just once from 20 matches when they have conceded the first goal.

Expect the visitors to keep it tight and try and nick a goal, which they might just do.