PREMIER LEAGUE FRIDAY: The Striker previews Friday’s Premier League game between WOLVES v LEEDS with a recommended BETDAQ bet and extended match stats.
WOLVES V LEEDS
8pm The Premier League fixtures just keep coming this week before the International break, and Wolves host Leeds for Friday Night Football on BETDAQ Betting Exchange. It’s been a big few days towards the bottom of the Premier League, and this is another massive game. Leeds fans would have become Newcastle fans on Thursday night given Everton had three games in hand on Leeds but after the 2-1 win over Norwich Leeds started this week four points clear of Everton. In my opinion they just need to focus on getting points and not looking behind them, as they do have a little cushion now.
With Watford and Burnley not in action in the Premier League before the International break, this is a fantastic chance for Leeds to put a bit of distance between themselves and the bottom three. With those Everton games in hand, I think they should ignore Everton and just focus on getting away from that bottom three – they’ve played the same amount of games as Watford for example. Wolves will have something to say about the Leeds plans however, and they arrive into this fixture off the back of two wins. Leeds fans would have been cheering for Wolves over the last two games as they played Watford and Everton!
Wolves haven’t been at their best this season, but they have been grinding out results and they are still bang in the race for a European spot. Given Liverpool have won the League Cup and the top three are still in the FA Cup which have the Quarter Finals this weekend, Wolves could easily get a European spot even in 7th. Wolves have usually kept their games very tight this season – you only have to look at their stats to see that there aren’t many goals in their games. They have had an average of 1.8 goals per Premier League game they have been involved in this season, but they have been solid at the back only conceding an average of 0.8 goals per Premier League game.
Given Leeds have a lot of issues at the back, Wolves tactics could easily work here. Leeds will no doubt give them chances, and Wolves can grind them down. Leeds have conceded an average of 2.2 goals per game in the Premier League this season, and you don’t win many games with stats like that! They have been on a very poor run lately, and I don’t think the win against Norwich changes much. Of course it was a massive boost for them, but Norwich have been very poor this season and Leeds had to win that game – it was a great chance for them.
Leeds generally play an open game and Wolves like to play a very tight game – it will be fascinating to see which way this game goes. The over/under 2.5 goals markets will certainly be interesting, but my best bet is Wolves at 2.24. Like I said above, I just feel they will be rock solid at the back and eventually Leeds will make a mistake at the back and gift them a good chance. We’ve seen that story time and time again from Leeds this season, and Wolves will grind out another win here in classic Wolves fashion.
The Striker Says:
Three points win Wolves to beat Leeds at 2.24 with BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE.
You can view all markets here -> https://bit.ly/BDQWollee
MATCH STATS
● Wolves are unbeaten in their last six league games against Leeds (W5 D1), since a 1-0 home loss in the Championship in October 2016.
● In the top-flight, Leeds’ last away win against Wolves was in September 1973 (2-0). The Whites are winless in nine such visits to Molineux since, losing each of the last five in a row.
● Wolves have won four of their last five Premier League games played on a Friday (D1), keeping four clean sheets in this run which includes a 1-0 victory over Leeds in this exact fixture last season.
● Wolves have kept 11 clean sheets in the Premier League this season, with only the current top four (Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal) keeping more in the competition this term. Only in 2019-20 (13) have Wolves recorded more shutouts in a single Premier League campaign.
● Leeds’ win against Norwich last time out ended a run of six straight Premier League defeats for the Whites. Only once have they won consecutive league games this term, doing so against Burnley and West Ham in January.
● Leeds have lost their last three Premier League away games by an aggregate score of 10-0. The Whites haven’t lost four consecutive away league games without scoring a single goal since February 1927.
● Leeds have conceded at least once in each of their last 15 Premier League games, the longest current run without a clean sheet in the competition. It’s the Whites’ longest run without a league shutout since a run of 17 between October 2004 and January 2005.
● Wolves have both scored and conceded in just eight of their 29 Premier League games this season, fewer than any other side. In Premier League history, the only side to see both teams score in fewer than 10 games across a full campaign are Leeds United in 1996-97 (6 times).
● Wolves’ Rúben Neves scored against Watford, and assisted Conor Coady’s winner against Everton. He’s never been involved in a goal (scored or assisted) in three consecutive Premier League appearances before.
● Since their return to the Premier League, Raphinha has scored the second most Premier League goals for Leeds (15) and has the most assists for the Whites (12), with only Patrick Bamford (28) being involved in more league goals for Leeds in that time than the Brazilian (27).
