For the first time in 28 years, English football will host a top-flight match on Christmas Eve as Chelsea travel to the Midlands to face Gary O'Neil's Wolves.
With the pair sat in mid-table, both sides will be hoping to send their respective fanbases home with some festive cheer in a match that should prove to be an intriguing affair.
Under O'Neil, Wolves have been transformed from relegation candidates to potential top-half finishers as he's overseen a shift in mentality and attitude in his squad.
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That's something that Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino is still struggling with though, as his side continues to suffer setbacks on the field. They progressed to the EFL Cup semifinals in midweek at the expense of Newcastle but the visitors still need to seriously improve on their present league standing.
The Sporting News previews the game below with our prediction and best bets.
Odds via Unibet.
Wolves vs Chelsea match facts: Start time in Australia
- Date: Monday, December 25, 2023
- Kickoff time: 12:00 am AEDT
- Location: Molineux (Wolverhampton, England)
- Last meeting: Wolves 1-0 Chelsea (April 8, 2023 | Premier League)
Wolves vs Chelsea prediction, odds
- Moneyline lean: Draw (3.75)
- Score prediction: Wolves 1-1 Chelsea
| WOL win | Draw | CHE win | Both teams to score Y / N | Over / Under 2.5 goals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unibet | 3.95 | 3.75 | 1.95 | 1.71 / 2.08 | 1.80 / 2.00 |
*Odds correct as of December 23.
Wolves vs Chelsea best bet
- Pick: Under 2.5 goals scored
- Odds: 2.00 (Unibet)
Given that Wolves have scored in each of their past 15 home Premier League outings — their longest such top-flight streak since the 1969/70 season — the hosts seem well placed to find the back of the net again here.
Unfortunately, backing both sides to score in this one offers little value at 1.71 but instead, backing the under 2.5 goals scored could prove worthwhile.
Wolves won the last meeting of these two sides 1-0 at the end of last season, whilst the pair haven't exactly been known for their high-scoring this season. Wolves remain fairly low scorers with just 21 goals to their name so far, whilst Chelsea have scored more than once in a match just once in their last four attempts.
Wolves vs Chelsea outside bet
- Pick: Hee-Chan Hwang to score first
- Odds: 8.50 (Unibet)
After reportedly signing a new contract with Wolves in the last week, we're going to back striker Hee-Chan Hwang to celebrate in style here by bagging the last goal in this outing versus Chelsea.
The South Korean forward has been in magnificent form for the Midlands outfit this campaign, netting eight Premier League goals across 17 matches which has dramatically helped to improve his side's standing in the division.
Of those eight strikes, six have come on home soil whilst three have acted as match-opening goals. He also added to that tally by scoring the opening goal in Wolves' 3-2 EFL Cup loss to Ipswich earlier in the campaign.
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