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Wolverhampton Eyes Sweep of West Ham

Visiting Wolves Can Put Hammers Down

Showdown for Sixth Place in EPL

West Ham United and the Wolverhampton Wolves may not be part of England’s traditional “big six” clubs, but they are most definitely the best of the rest. Both clubs are on the outside looking in but they are still in contention for the fourth and final Champions League slot in the Premier League.

Sunday’s fixture will produce a clash of styles as West Ham plays a free-flowing game that often leaves them vulnerable defensively while Bruno Lage’s Wolves are regimented and incredibly organized at the back. West Ham is favored to win at home, per the latest soccer lines, but Wolves are not at all an easy team to score on, let alone defeat.

Wolves Looking to Pull off Season Sweep of West Ham
Ina Fassbender / POOL / AFP

West Ham vs Wolverhampton Betting Preview

  • Game: West Ham United F.C. vs Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
  • Location: London Stadium, London, England
  • Date/Time: Sunday, 9 a.m. ET

West Ham vs Wolverhampton Head to Head

When Wolves were promoted back to the Premier League in 2018, they went on a four-game winning streak vs West Ham. Since then, the Hammers have won two of the last three meetings. However, it was Wolves who were victorious at home in November, picking up a 1-0 win. Striker Raul Jimenez scored the game’s only goal.

Hammers in Midseason Slump

West Ham’s form has been a bit uneven recently and they’ve been an inconsistent pick to bet on. The Hammers drew 1-1 with a suddenly resurgent Newcastle on Saturday and also drew with Leicester the previous weekend. West Ham’s only win in their last five Premier League matches was a 1-0 win over Watford.

Still, David Moyes’s side is challenging for a European place and is currently in sixth place. They have, however, played one more game than Wolves and two more than fifth-place Arsenal. So, their form will really need an uptick to stay in the top six.

The unlikeliest of scorers, center-back Craig Dawson, has found the net in two straight games and he saved a point in stoppage time vs Leicester. Forward Jarrod Bowen has gone under the radar a bit, but he’s been excellent this season with eight goals and eight assists. Striker Michail Antonio started off the season strongly, winning the Premier League player of the month in August, but he hasn’t scored in eight straight EPL matches.

The controversy surrounding center-back Kurt Zouma, who was videotaped kicking his pet cat, has overshadowed West Ham’s play in recent weeks, and Moyes has been called out for not suspending him. Zouma, who was signed from Chelsea over the summer, remains in the starting lineup.

Wolves Suffer Midweek Setback

The Wolves fell 2-1 on Thursday at Arsenal, two weeks after falling 1-0 to the Gunners at the Molineux. Forward Hwang Hee Chan took advantage of a Gabriel error to give the Wolves the lead, but Arsenal fought on and scored two late goals to complete the comeback. It was the first time in 16 matches that Wolves conceded twice.

Still, the Wolves have been one of the best EPL soccer picks in 2022 and have won four of their last six Premier League matches. They’ve also been very good on the road.

After just two days of rest, they’ll take on West Ham on Sunday in another tough road match. Despite the rest disadvantage, expect Wolves to be up for the challenge. They’re two points behind West Ham in seventh place but have a game in hand on fourth-place Manchester United and are still competing for European spots.

Lage, who won the Premier League manager of the month in January, has gotten two big injury boosts over the past few weeks. He now has a mostly healthy side for the first time in his short Wolves career.

Hwang Hee-Chan, who hadn’t played since December due to a hamstring injury, is completely back in the fold now. Winger Pedro Neto, the 2020-21 Wolves player of the season, made his season debut in the 2-1 win vs Leicester after 10 months out with a kneecap fracture.

However, center-back Willy Boly is still out from a leg injury he suffered in December and Nelson Semedo appeared to have seriously injured his hamstring vs Arsenal on Thursday.

West Ham vs Wolverhampton Prediction

The Wolves are 2-1-1 this season on three days of rest or shorter and with a bigger squad at Lage’s disposal, I don’t expect it to affect them too much.

In recent weeks, the Wolves have beaten both Tottenham and Manchester United on the road and there’s no reason they can’t defeat West Ham. At very appealing +275 odds, bet sports online and take Wolves to pull off a double over West Ham.

Pick: Wolverhampton Wanderers (+275)

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