Wolverhampton Wanderers vs West Ham United
, KO: 19:00 Jul 27, 2024, TIAA Bank Field
WOLVES and West Ham United continue their preseason tour as they clash in Florida on Saturday. It should be a closely fought encounter and given the attacking talent on display, goals could be expected here.
Wolverhampton Wanderers ended the season on a poor note, picking up just one win in their final 10 Premier League matches. However, there is a change in the mood this summer following the arrivals of players like Pedro Lima, Rodrigo Gomes and Jorgen Strand Larson in the transfer market.
Despite seeing star defender Max Kilman go out the door, Wolves have still looked sharp in preseason. Gary O’Neil’s men began with a 1-0 victory over Como before running out 3-0 winners over Bristol City in a behind-closed-doors encounter.
An interesting angle to Saturday’s clash is Julen Lopetegui, who was fired at Wolves last season and has now wound up at West Ham. In contrast to the paucity of funds at Molineux, the manager has now spent over £65m on players like Max Kilman and Luis Guilherme.
Having also ended the Premier League season on a poor note, West Ham are looking to rediscover their mojo this summer. They have played two friendlies so far, battling to a 2-2 draw with Ferencvaros before claiming a 1-0 victory over Dagenham & Redbridge.
How the bookies view it: Hammers with slight edge
West Ham have the slight edge among the bookies and are priced at 6/5 by Betfred to claim the win. A victory for Wolverhampton Wanderers is priced at 8/5 while a draw is set at odds of 5/2.
Recent head to head: Hammers on top
West Ham have claimed the upper hand in recent meetings with Wolverhampton Wanderers, winning four of the last five matches. The Hammers also did the double last season. Winning 3-0 at home before claiming a 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture.
Players to watch: Both attacks to shine
Wolverhampton Wanderers’ attack is looking revamped following the acquisition of Rodrigo Gomes and Jorgen Strand Larson. With mainstays like Hwang Hee-Chan and Matheus Cunha still available, Wolves could be backed to score first at evens with Betfred.
Starlet Luis Guilherme is a summer acquisition and is expected to bring some spark to the West Ham attack. Alongside the likes of Danny Ings and Mohammed Kudus, the Hammers could be backed to score first at 4/5 with Betfred.
Probable line-ups
Wolves are without the quartet of Nelson Semedo, Pedro Gomes, Joao Gomes and Jose Sa, which were all on international duty. Hwang Hee-Chan is in contention to play while Pedro Lima, Rodrigo Gomes and Jorgen Strand Larson should all feature at some point.
West Ham also have their international contingent out, with the likes of Jarrod Bowen, Michail Antonio, Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek still on holiday. Summer signing Luis Guilherme could be given a start with Mohammed Kudus and Danny Ings also set to feature.
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Ait-Nouri, Mosquera, Bueno, Doherty, Lemina, Doyle, Bellagarde, Larson, Hee-Chan, Cunha
West Ham United: Fabianski, Emerson, Kilman, Zouma, Casey, Ward-Prowse, Potts, Guilherme, Kudus, Cornet, Ings
Anything else catch the eye?
Given the attacking quality on both sides, goals could be expected on Saturday. Over 4.5 goals is priced at 11/4 by Betfred, who is also offering over 6/5 for over 3.5 goals.
There were more goals after the break in the last meeting between both teams and a similar pattern is priced at 19/20 by Betfred.
This match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United will be played on Jul 27, 2024 and kick off at 19:00. Check below for our tipsters best Wolverhampton Wanderers vs West Ham United prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
