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Wolves v Chelsea
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Kick Off: Sunday 24th December at 13:00
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Competition: Premier League
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Watch Live: Sky Sports Main Event
Wolves face Chelsea heading into the festive weekend and our experts have pulled together their favourite selections for your consideration to include in your bets. As always, Andy’s Bet Club is stacked full of expert football tips betting predictions, our Christmas treat to you all.
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On the first Christmas Eve Premier League fixture since 1995, Chelsea travels to Wolves which could serve up a proper Christmas cracker at Molineux.
Wolves have already scored some huge victories on home turf against Spurs and Man City, and if they can taste 3-points once again here, they’ll leapfrog over the visitors in the league table.
It would be a fair comment to say that Gary O’Neil’s side have been performing far better than their 13th-place position, after being dealt some tough hands by the officials this campaign. After a 3-0 battering last weekend to West Ham, Wolves will be hoping to bounce back into their previously dangerous form.
Chelsea will be aiming to build on their dramatic midweek victory over Newcastle which saw them reach the Carabao Cup semi-final on penalties. The Blues can establish a 3-game winning streak with victory here, after they comfortably dispatched Sheffield Utd at Stamford Bridge last weekend, but with only 6 points from their last 5 top flight outings, there’s certainly work to do.
Wolves v Chelsea Cheat Sheet
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🥅 Goals stats: Jingoals all the way
A fitting game for Christmas Eve as this game is looking like the gift of goals on Sunday.
Chelsea fixtures have been loving goals recently, 29 goals scored across their last seven games, with the Blues bagging 15 of those. There’s certainly some questions to be asked of this Chelsea defence, with last week’s clean sheet against Sheffield Utd being their first since the start of October. Facing a Wolves side that found the net in each of their last 15 home matches will certainly cause some headaches at the back for Chelsea.
Both teams to score has landed in six of the last eight games for Chelsea across all competitions but Wolves definitely stump their visitors on that selection. Both teams have scored in all but four of Wolves’ Premier League games this season, 76% of their games, and their home scoring form is fantastic.
Chelsea have conceded eight goals across their last three away games and have enjoyed such a flourish of goals recently, both for and against. With some key figures absent on Sunday, on both sides, we expect this game to get a little scrappy and reign the goals in.
Predictions:
⚽ Both teams to score @ 1.60
⚽ Over 2.5 goals @ 1.75
🎯 Shooting stats: Cunha and Palmer to star
Matheus Cunha’s recent performances are seemingly going under the radar, with three goals in his last five games, as well as boasting the best shooting numbers in this Wolves side.
Cunha is averaging a very respectable 2.53 shots on goal per 90 this season with 1.39 of those hitting the target. He has hit the target at least once in eight of his last nine games in the league, and on five occasions in that same sample he has had at least three shots on target – Cunha is certainly the sharpshooter in this side at the moment.
This Chelsea side is facing an average of 12.10 shots a game with 4.53 hitting the target, so we should expect Cunha to make the room he needs to secure this selection.
Cole Palmer is proving the key danger at Chelsea recently and is in fine form after picking up a goal and an assist last weekend. Palmer has six goals and three assists so far this season establishing himself as the Blues top goal contributor.
Palmer is averaging 2.52 shots on goal per 90 and has hit the target in each of his last four Premier League matches, recording 12 shots in that time. But his threat extends beyond his goal scoring ability as reflected by his 1.07 xG+A per 90 – really promising numbers.
Palmer is completing 3.75 passes that lead to a shot attempt per match, the most of any player in this Chelsea team, and against a struggling Wolves defence, this could be a great matchup for him to cause issues.
Predictions:
⚽ Matheus Cunha to have 1+ shot on target @ 1.57
⚽ Matheus Cunha to have 2+ shots @ 1.25
⚽ Cole Palmer to have 1+ shot on target @ 1.53
⚽ Cole Palmer to have 2+ shots @ 1.25
⚽ Cole Palmer to score or assist @ 2.63
🛑 Fouls stats: Both sides to get stuck in
A festive fixture that could bring many fouls, and potentially on the referee’s naughty list.
Wolves have certainly shown their love for fouls this season, averaging an impressive 13.20 fouls per 90 and it seems that Molineux brings out the worst in Gary O’Neil’s boys. Some of their home fouling numbers include 11 (v Burnley), 19 (v Spurs), 19 (v Aston Villa), 18 (v Man City) and 14 (v Brighton) – some serious numbers there.
Having made at least 13 fouls on five of their eight home outings this season, facing a Chelsea side that draws in 11.80 fouls per 90 could cause some danger on Christmas Eve.
Chelsea are also finding themselves in the battlegrounds as they’re committing 12.30 fouls per 90 minutes this season, and have recorded at least 12 fouls in seven of their last eight Premier League outings – it seems Sheffield Utd got it off easy.
The key fouling candidate on Sunday is Joao Gomes who has already shown his affinity for making fouls this season, and he’ll have plenty of tricky player to battle with here, all of whom love to draw fouls.
Firstly, Gomes is averaging a very impressive 2.40 fouls per 90 as well 1.92 tackles won and 1.60 fouls drawn – his powerhouse role is pivotal to Wolves. He has committed at least one foul in all but two outings in the league this season and has 11 fouls in his last five games.
Gomes will be going head-to-head with the likes of Conor Gallagher, Moises Caicedo and Raheem Sterling who are drawing in 1.50, 1.44 and 1.96 fouls per 90, respectively. These three have drawn in a total of 16 fouls combined across Chelsea’s last four league outings, and they can certainly cause headaches again.
Predictions:
⚽ Wolves to commit 12+ fouls @ 1.44
⚽ Wolves to commit 13+ fouls @ 1.80
⚽ Chelsea to commit 11+ fouls @ 1.36
⚽ Chelsea to commit 12+ fouls @ 1.62
⚽ Joao Gomes to commit 2+ fouls @ 1.44
🟨 Cards stats: Who will be on the ref’s naughty list?
Neither of these teams have been on their best behaviour so far this campaign, with both sides sitting in the top 4 worst disciplinary records in the league. Chelsea have received the second-most bookings, 54, and Wolves have received the 4th most with 48 – not much to separate these two either.
We have established both sides’ love for fouls in the above and this can easily be translated into many cards, especially considering David Coote’s strict approach to refereeing. Coote has managed 8 games so far this season, 6 Premier League and 2 Championship, and has shown 39 yellows and 3 reds in that time, including the 2 reds at Aston Villa v Brentford last weekend. That fixture saw 25 fouls, which resulted in 12 total cards. In six Premier League outings he has shown 28 yellow, an impressive average.
Chelsea are averaging 3.18 bookings per 90 as compared to Wolves’ 2.82. Wolves have received at least two bookings in five of their last seven games and although Chelsea have evaded the bookings in recent fixtures, their tendency for fouls has continued nonetheless, which can easily be picked out by the officials on Sunday.
Predictions:
⚽ Over 4.5 total cards @ 1.60
⚽ Over 1.5 Wolves cards @ 1.29
⚽ Over 2.5 Chelsea cards @ 1.87
* I recommend waiting for confirmed team line-ups before placing any bets.
* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing.
Written by an Andy verified content writer
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