Wolves v Southampton: Premier League predictions, where to watch and free tip

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Wolves v Southampton in the Premier League on Monday.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Main Event & Premier League, 8pm Monday

Best bet

Wolves to win & under 3.5 goals
1pt 15-8 Betway

Team news

Wolves
Conor Coady is doubtful after having to self-isolate. Rayan Ait-Nouri should be fit after a knock.

Southampton
Striker Danny Ings remains sidelined but James Ward-Prowse and Ryan Bertrand have recovered from injuries. Mohammed Salisu is unlikely to feature.

Match preview

Southampton briefly went top of a congested Premier League table before the international break but Wolves may be able to stop them jumping back into the top four at Molineux on Monday night.

Saints extended their fine run to five wins in six league games with a 2-0 victory over Newcastle. The only points they dropped during that run came in a creditable 3-3 draw at Chelsea but their trip to Wolves is likely to be a far less expansive contest.

Southampton are missing injured striker Danny Ings, scorer of 27 Premier League goals in 39 starts since the beginning of the 2019-20 season, and that makes the task of breaking down a resolute Wolves defence even harder.

Nuno's men have made a modest start to the campaign, perhaps still feeling the effects of last season's gruelling run to the Europa League quarter-finals, but they have managed to convert eight league goals into four victories.

They have racked up wins to nil against Sheffield United, Leeds, Fulham and Crystal Palace and they have conceded only twice in five league games since an inexplicable 4-0 defeat at West Ham in September.

Their recent form is not quite as hot as Southampton's but they have won three of their last five, conceding an 89th-minute equaliser at home to Newcastle and losing 1-0 to a controversial penalty at Leicester just before the break.

Wolves competed well with the highflying Foxes and Nuno admitted that there is room for improvement from a side who finished seventh in the top flight last season, level on points with Tottenham.

Their strong second half of the season included a 3-2 win at Southampton, who had taken a 2-0 lead, in January but Nuno would be satisfied with a less dramatic victory this time around.

They are tough to beat at Molineux, where they have kept eight clean sheets in their last 11 home league games, and Saints will undoubtedly miss the finishing of Ings, who scored 22 of their 51 league goals last term.

Southampton's progress under Hasenhuttl has been superb since the nadir of last autumn's 9-0 home defeat to Leicester.

They still have their bad days in defence, however, conceding three times after going 4-0 up at Aston Villa on November 1 and being torn apart in a 5-2 home defeat to Tottenham in September.

A settled and well-drilled Wolves side are unlikely to be knocked off their stride by Southampton's high-energy pressing and the hosts have enough attacking quality to grind out a win.

Key stat

There have been no more than two goals in 15 of Wolves's last 18 league games.

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