Arsenal vs Wolves: Betting tips and analysis

Every man and his dog seems to be tipping up Arsenal to win this season’s Premier League. So, what could possibly go wrong?

Matt Hill considers what kind of start we can expect from Mikel Arteta’s Gunners as they kick off their campaign at home to Wolves.

Tale of the tape

Arsenal

Though it was another case of close but no cigar for Arteta and Arsenal last term, it’s clear this Gunners side continues to be on an upward trajectory.

Their 89-point haul in 2023-24 is above the title-winning average for the Premier League era, even if City and Liverpool have skewed those figures somewhat in recent times.

Crucially, they have retained all their key players this summer AND added quality, with Italy international Riccardo Calafiori appearing a top-class solution to what was problem area at left-back.

I can see why so many want to have the Gunners on side in the title race but at under 2/1, I’m happy to give them a watching brief. Being capable and actually doing it are two different things.

I also have this nagging doubt over how they’d cope with an injury to the marvellous Martin Odegaard. Still, there’s no reason to think they won’t start where they left off this term.

Wolves

Wolves have had an underwhelming summer and things took a bleak turn last week when star man Pedro Neto departed for Chelsea in a rather surprising £54million deal.

Though he’s had injury troubles, Neto still managed 14 direct goal contributions in 24 appearances across all competitions last year. How do a team like Wolves replace that kind of quality? Realistically, they don’t.

Add in the £40million sale of skipper Max Kilman to West Ham and you’d think boss Gary O’Neil will be given a few quid to spend between now and the end of the month.

Of their new arrivals, Rodrigo Gomes looks yet another promising Portuguese talent, while I’m excited to see how imposing Norwegian striker Jorgen Strand Larsen handles leading a Premier League line.

The next couple of weeks will be vital for the men from Molineux though because right now, this squad looks a bit light.

Arsenal vs Wolves: Betting tips and predictions

Priced at 1/5 to win this one, you’ll do well to find a shorter-priced favourite than Arsenal this weekend and even an underdog-lover like me is struggling to make a case for an upset.

The Gunners won 15 of their 19 league matches at the Emirates and have only lost four of their last 51 home encounters in the top-flight — a run stretching back to April 2022.

They come into this one off the back of a strong pre-season with optimism and confidence sky-high, which is in stark contrast to a Wolves side who rounded off pre-season with a tame 1-0 home loss to Rayo Vallecano.

O’Neil has generally impressed since arriving at Molineux but it is hard to overlook a turgid end to last term, which saw his side win just one and lose seven of their last 10 Premier League encounters.

Losing two of your star players is unlikely to help turn the tide, so I’m very pessimistic about what to expect from the Black Country outfit in the opening weeks.

It’s not the most imaginative angle in the world but I think the home side could start with a bang here. 6/4 about Arsenal on the -2.5 handicap looks worth an investment.

Odds Now’s best bets for Arsenal vs Wolves

Arsenal to cover a -2.5 goal handicap – 2pts @ 6/4 (General)

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