*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
Arsenal head to Wolves on Thursday night looking to shake themselves out of a mini slump. Wolves, for their part, are in really good form and have won four of their last six games.
There’s some interesting narrative around these two with the hosts having a great season under Bruno Lage and The Gunners supposedly improving thanks to Mikel Arteta’s process, though the same old flaws look to be there. Arsenal have had a pretty tough run of late but they’ve still stuttered in a couple games they were reasonably expected to win, drawing 0-0 with Burnley and losing to Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup.
WELCOME TO PADDY POWER NEWS
Arsenal are big favourites here but, with Wolves having home advantage and being in the better form, I just can’t get onside with that. Wolves are just two places below The Gunners in the Premier League and trail them by two points. A win for the hosts would see them leapfrog Arsenal and potentially move up to 6th in the Premier League and tantalisingly close to Champions League football.
Can they get the three points? You might be one step ahead of me already. Strap yourselves in because here come your three best bets for Thursday night’s Premier League clash at Molineux.
- LIKE PADDY POWER NEWS? OR MAYBE YOU JUST LIKE TO WHINGE? TELL US WHAT YOU THINK IN OUR READER SURVEY
Thursday 7.45pm: Wolves v Arsenal
BT Sport 2 and BT Sport Extra 1
Short-priced punt: Both Teams To Score? No
If recent trends are anything to go by, this Both Teams to Score? No is as close to a banker as you can get. Both Teams have now scored in just two of Wolves’ last 13 games in all competitions.
For Arsenal, Both Teams to Score? No has clicked in seven of their last 10, with two of those BTTS? Yes games being comfortable 4-1 and 5-1 wins. They’ve found goals far harder to come by recently and they’ve now gone four games without scoring. In these two’s last 20 games combined, Both Teams to Score? No has come off 75% of the time so is well worth a go.
Value Pick: Wolves to Win & Under 2.5 Goals
In what looks to be close to a 50/50 match on paper there’s great value in backing the Wolves Win. As mentioned earlier, the home side are Paddy’s underdogs at a really nice price, especially considering both sides’ form.
Wolves won four on the bounce before their loss to Norwich last time out while Arsenal are without a win in five, drawing two and losing three. The most worrying element for them is that lack of goals and they’ve fired blanks against Forest and Burnley in their four-game barren run.
Wolves had struggled for goals themselves until scoring nine in their last four. Before that they had mustered just two in the seven games prior. Their defence has remained pretty strong and they’ve shipped 16 in 21 games this season and just three in their last six.
With Arsenal struggling in attack I think we might see Wolves Win in narrow fashion. To squeeze every drop of value, I like the look of Wolves to Win & Under 2.5 Goals.
Long Shot: Half Time 0-0 – Full Time Wolves 2-0
One at a price now and I think Half Time 0-0 – Full Time Wolves 2-0 has a decent chance. Four of the last five goals Arsenal have conceded have come in the second half, with Diogo Jota’s 19th minute strike in the Carabao Cup semi-final, second leg the only exception.
Three of their last four had been goalless at half time with them going on to lose two of those. Wolves have scored seven of their last nine goals in the second 45 and they very much like to try and grind down their opponents before striking late on. If that plan comes to fruition again we could see a half time stalemate before the home side knock in a couple late on.
Wolves v Arsenal tips
Short-priced punt: Both Teams To Score? No
Value Pick: Wolves to Win & Under 2.5 Goals
Long Shot: Half Time 0-0 – Full Time Wolves 2-0
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
PP NEWS IS YOUR HOME OF THE BEST FOOTBALL TIPS EVERY DAY
- Chelsea v Al-Hilal Club World Cup tips for Wednesday afternoon’s semi-final
- Aston Villa v Leeds best bets from Phil Thompson – including an 8/1 pick
- Raheem Sterling to star in this 18/1 Man City v Brentford Bet Builder
- Thommo’s Premier League tips include a 6/1 treble
WATCH OUR BRAND-NEW JAMIE REDKNAPP INVESTIGATES SERIES
- Paddy sends Jamie on mission to discover truth about half-and-half scarves
- Jamie goes face to face with vicious online football Twitter trolls
- Jamie Redknapp grills people who still call the Premier League the ‘Premiership’
The latest football odds are on PaddyPower.com right now
The Paddy Power Guide To Safer Gambling – Everything You Need To Know
