Wolverhampton Wanderers have a made a worrying start to the Premier League season but will view this Midlands derby against Aston Villas as the perfect chance to kickstart their campaign.
Gary O'Neill's men hit a slump towards the end of last term and it has continued into the new season, with Wolves sitting third bottom after collecting just one point from their first four games.
Things could get a lot worse as Wolves face three of last season's top four – Villa, Liverpool and Manchester City – in their next four games. But Unai Emery's side could be a little vulnerable here as the derby comes off the back of their Champions League debut.
Tuesday's 3-0 win over Young Boys in Switzerland will have taken a toll so it will be interesting to see how Aston Villa cope when they return to Premier League duty.
They managed to juggle Conference League football with mounting a top-four push last season though and Emery has invested in the squad to give them the depth to cope with two huge games inside a week.
How the bookies view it: Wounded Wolves still lacking bite
With Wolverhampton Wanderers starting the season so poorly, it's no great surprise to see them as Betano's outsiders, although their price of 17/4 looks too big for a derby. Aston Villa are 11/20 hot favourites and the draw pays 16/5.
Recent head to head: Molineux men have the edge
This derby has been fiercely contested in recent seasons but Wolves have held the upper hand, winning five of the last 11 meetings and losing just three times. It was Villa who came out on top last term though, winning 2-0 at home after a 1-1 draw at Molineux.
Players to watch: Lively Cunha a decent price
Brazilian forward Matheus Cunha always catches my eye whenever I see Wolves play and he could get a few chances against a Villa side who don't keep a lot of clean sheets. He's 3/1 for anytime scorer with Betfred and that looks overpriced.
I'd imagine Emery will make a few changes to freshen things up after that Champions League opener. Slips Tips cashed in by backing Ollie Watkins to score against Everton but I'm going for fellow striker Jhon Duran here. The Colombian will be pushing for a start after scoring three times off the bench and he's evens for anytime scorer at Betano.
Probable line-ups
I'd expect a few changes from Aston Villa, who are still without Matty Cash, Boubacar Kamara and Tyrone Mings. Wolverhampton Wanderers should field close to their strongest side, with Boubacar Traore and Sasa Kalajdzic still not ready to return.
Aston Villa: Martinez, Konsa, Maatsen, Carlos, Torres, McGinn, Barkley, Onana, Rogers, Duran, Watkins.
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Sa, Ait-Nouri, Mosquera, Dawson, Semedo, Lemina, Andre, J Gomes, Bellegarde, Strand Larsen, Cunha.
Anything else catch the eye?
Aston Villa and Wolves are usually good value for goals, with BTTS and over 2.5 strikes landing in three of the first four league games for both. Combining those bets pays 37/40 at Betano here but over 3.5 goals is better on its own at 11/8 while over 1.5 first-half strikes pays 5/4 at Betfred.
This fixture was spicy last term, with 12 yellows and a red across the two meetings, so it could pay to back a busy day for the ref again. Over 52.5 booking points pays 11/10 at Betfred while combative Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes is 7/5 to go in the book.
This English Premier League match between Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers will be played on Sep 21, 2024 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Aston Villa vs Wolverhampton Wanderers prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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