Leicester v Wolves – Premier League Betting Preview and Prediction
Leicester and Wolves will clash on Sunday at King Power Stadium in their opening match of 2019/20 season, which promises to be a spectacle between two of the best EPL teams outside the top six.
Wolverhampton fighting on two fronts
Following their impressive campaign last season, Wolves earned themselves a spot in the European competition this season meaning they will have to juggle both domestic league as well as European competitions at the same time. As it stands now, Wolves are in a good spot to reach the finals of Europa League qualifiers following their impressive 4:0 win against Pyunik Yerevan this Thursday at Republican Stadium in Jerevan. While Wolves can be proud and happy they are more or less guaranteed a finals appearance, their Europa League clash came at a bad time.
Not only did the quarter-finals match happen only three days before their opening fixture of EPL, Wolves also had to travel all way to Armenia and back, meaning they will not return before Friday evening. That ultimately means, Wolves have only one day of preparation ahead of a tough match against Leicester. What makes that even bigger problem is that Wolves don’t have a deep bench, meaning their key players will have to push through and play two games in four days.
Leicester look to make King Power Stadium a fortress
The Foxes finished last season at an underwhelming ninth place, only five points out of reaching Europa League spot, however, that is not to say Leicester did not deserve a top-seven finish. They endured a tough start of the season under Claude Puel, who got sacked in late February and replaced by Brandon Rodgers, which was a very welcomed addition to the team.
Since Rodgers arrived at Leicester, the team improved drastically and gained an identity of their own. We also have to address the departure of Maguire to United during the summer, which might seem like bad news for Leicester and while it’s by no means a good thing, Leicester will manage just fine. They have enough depth to fill the gap and continue playing on the same level, which is why we are not concerned about their defensive strength. Especially at King Power Stadium.
It’s also worth noting Leicester have a very solid midfield and with Vardy up front, who is always a threat to any team, Leicester are expected to once more compete for a solid finish.
Verdict & Prediction
Leicester are a very solid team at King Power Stadium, which they proved last season in the Premier League. Looking back at their last 6 home matches played in Premier League last season, Leicester lost only once out of six played. Those result also included a 3:0 win against Arsenal and 0:0 draw against Chelsea.
Will they manage to continue to produce good results at home is yet to be seen, however, we can expect them to give their all to make their home stadium a fortress, which will help them on their quest to once again establish themselves as a solid EPL team.
While we talk home record, we must touch Wolves away record last season, which stood at 6-5-8 with only one win in the last 5 league matches. Despite the fact Wolves looked much better in away matches during the preseason, the fatigue from their travel to Armenia will be a huge obstacle they will need to overcome ahead of the weekend fixture. And while they do possess the strength to stand up to Leicester on any other day, I don’t believe their tired legs will manage to do so this weekend.
Prediction: Leicester to win
Odds: 2.26 SBOBET
