Wolves vs Bournemouth prediction: ENGLAND: Premier League betting tips on match 2023-02-17 15:00.
Following an impressive come-from-behind win over Southampton last weekend which saw Saints boss Nathan Jones get the sack in the aftermath, in-form Wolves could move up to the heady heights of 12th with victory after a vast improvement in the league under manager Julen Lopetegui (W4, D1, L2). That upturn in form means Wolves have the chance to make a little piece of history as the very first Premier League (PL) team to finish inside the top half after sitting bottom at Christmas.
Relegation still remains a concern for now as they sit just five points above 18th place, but with Molineux behind them once again, Wolves could now start a calendar year with three straight PL wins for the very first time after an impressive 3-0 victory over Liverpool here earlier this month. An unbeaten record in PL H2Hs versus visitors Bournemouth (W3, D2), including winning both home matches āto nilā, offers plenty of encouragement that Wolves will do just that.
A defeat for Bournemouth may well give Lopetegui his second āmanagerial killā in quick succession, with Cherries boss Gary OāNeil leading the sack race, despite holding Champions League-chasing Newcastle to a surprise draw last week. He particularly praised his sideās set pieces, as August signing Marcos Senesi opened his account for the club.
Their travel sickness remains a huge issue though, with six straight PL away defeats before this trip and as many unanswered goals going against them across three PL away games since the start of the year, a big reason for their current predicament in the bottom three. This sorry run has notably kept them as one of just three sides yet to record a league shutout on hostile turf across Englandās top four divisions.
Players to watch: JoĆ£o Gomes completed the turnaround against Southampton on his PL debut, taking less than 20 minutes to make an impact from the bench. Dango Ouattara then assisted for Bournemouth against Newcastle later the same day, though he is still yet to score for them, after seeing three of his last four goals (for Lorient) arrive before the break.
Hot stat: Just one of Bournemouthās 20 league strikes has come from outside the area.