Wolves and Chelsea meet in the Premier League's early game on Tuesday, with Joe Townsend backing the Blues and a 25/1 goalscorer.
Wolves v Chelsea recommended bets
2pts Chelsea to win and under 3.5 goals at 13/8
1pt Chelsea to win and under 2.5 goals at 14/5
0.5pt e.w. Kurt Zouma to score first at 25/1 (1/3 1-5)
For details of advised bookmakers and each-way terms, visit our transparent tipping record
Wolves v Chelsea betting tips
- 18:00 GMT on Amazon Prime Video
- Match odds: Home 17/4 | Draw 11/4 | Away 4/6
Wolves and Chelsea endured disappointing 1-0 defeats at the weekend, at home to Aston Villa and away to Everton respectively, and will be keen to bounce back quickly when they meet at Molineux.
Nuno Espirito Santo's side have been a curious case this season, never really seeming to get going but until recently churning out results on a fairly regular basis. They're certainly in the midst of a rebuilding phase having sold some key players in the summer, and now with the long-term loss of Raul Jimenez to a fractured skull, Nuno must find a new way to win.
The initial response was good, as Wolves reacted to the Mexican's early injury by winning 2-1 at Arsenal, but back-to-back defeats, and no goals, have shown how keenly his absence will be felt.
They head into this contest 13th in the table, which is very fair reflection of their tepid opening to the campaign.
Chelsea's loss at Goodison was a rarity during what has been an excellent start to the season for Frank Lampard's side.
Defensively, he has them well drilled, only five goals have been conceded in their past 13 outings, and in attack they've already found the net 46 times after 20 matches in all competitions. Before Saturday, the sole blemish since October in league terms was a goalless draw at home to Tottenham.
Against least season's Wolves, this would be a really interesting match up. Now, I'm confident to back Chelsea.
In losing to Villa the Old Gold stuck with their newfound 4-4-2, a system brought in before Jimenez was ruled out. An under 2.5 goals favourite of our weekly Premier League: Punting Pointers before that change in formation, it would appear victory at Arsenal and the 4-0 thrashing at Liverpool were down to opposition rather than system.
Saturday saw Nuno revert to type in terms of caution, and I expect the same on Tuesday. They're now 21 from 26 for under 2.5 goals - combine that with a Chelsea win and it's 14/5 with Boylesports.
The Blues have been excellent in defence lately, but it's now three successive matches in which they have conceded once. I'm happy to take a bigger stake to Chelsea/under 3.5 goals with it trading at 13/10, factoring in the possibility of 2-1 or 3-0 wins.
One man who's been vital to Chelsea's defence is Kurt Zouma, but he's been almost as equally important at the other end of the pitch. The Frenchman has scored four goals already, and was only denied by a brilliant Jordan Pickford save on Saturday.
For a team who have built a reputation on being reliable defensively, usually with three strong centre-backs, it's a surprise to see Wolves (6) trailing only Leeds and Leicester for set-piece goals conceded this season.
Zouma is priced at 25/1 with Betfair and Paddy Power to score first, which is a price I'll back each-way to small stakes. He is a boosted 11/1 to score a header with Sky Bet, but I prefer the first goalscorer play.
Score prediction: Wolves 0-2 Chelsea (Sky Bet odds: 13/2)
Wolves v Chelsea best bets
Chelsea to win and under 3.5 goals at 13/8
Chelsea to win and under 2.5 goals at 14/5
Kurt Zouma to score first e.w at 25/1 (1/3 1-5)
Odds correct at 15:25 GMT (14/12/20)
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