Wolves vs Manchester City predictions, team news, betting tips, odds and Bet Builder

Wolves vs Manchester City kick-off, date & TV info 

Date Saturday, August 16th
Kick-off 5.30pm
Venue Molineux, Wolverhampton
Competition Premier League
TV Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League

Manchester City endured a disappointing 2024-25 campaign and will be looking for a fresh start as they prepare to take on Wolves in their Premier League opener at Molineux. 

Pep Guardiola's side crashed out of the Club World Cup in the round of 16 and have had a much shorter pre-season than Wolves, who are aiming to keep progressing despite losing key striker Matheus Cunha to Manchester United.

Wolves vs Manchester City betting tips & predictions

Best bet

Wolves +1 on Asian handicap
1pt 23-20 bet365

Player cards

Joao Gomes to be carded
23-10 Paddy Power

Longshot

2-2 correct score
20-1 bet365

Wolves vs Manchester City preview 

Manchester City will be desperate to move on quickly from a disappointing campaign but they could be pushed all the way by Wolves in the West Midlands.

Pep Guardiola's side did the double over Wolves last season but were hard pressed, winning 1-0 at the Etihad and 2-1 at Molineux, where they needed a 95th-minute John Stones header to secure the spoils.

City had hoped to return to the winners enclosure at the Club World Cup but, after breezing through their group matches, they fell short against Al-Hilal in the round of 16, losing 4-3 after extra-time.

The positive aspect of an early exit was a less hectic summer schedule. But Guardiola was keen to give his players a few weeks of downtime and did not press them into pre-season action until last Saturday when they claimed a 3-0 victory away to Palermo. And it was a carefully managed exercise with ten half-time substitutions made.

Academy prospect Divine Mukasa, 17, was the only player to feature for more than one half of football and it would be a major surprise if City's senior players are anywhere close to full match fitness.

City have plenty of options and their strong squad has been bolstered by new signings Rayan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders and former Wolves left back Rayan Ait-Nouri, who all played at the Club World Cup. But they are stretched in midfield, where Mateo Kovacic is ruled out until October and Rodri sidelined for the start of the campaign.

Rodri's ongoing fitness is a major concern given how much he has been missed over the last 12 months.

Wolves should see it as a positive to be City's first opponents.

Their pre-season featured a 1-1 draw against Stoke and defeats to Lens, Girona and Celta Vigo, but the general mood of the club remains positive as they aim to keep progressing under Vitor Pereira.

The Portuguese was appointed last December when Wolves were in the thick of a relegation battle, but he soon turned their fortunes around and had safety mathematically assured with five games to spare.

Wolves's summer was complicated by the departure of Matheus Cunha, who topped their scoring charts in each of the last two seasons.

However, the Brazilian was less effective towards the end of last term and his drop-off in performance was mitigated by Norwegian striker Jorgen Strand Larsen, who scored seven goals in his last nine appearances of the campaign.

Strand Larsen has signed a permanent deal and is set to be joined by new arrivals Jhon Arias and Fer Lopez in a revamped Wolves attack.

It may take time for the front three to click, but Wolves should have a fitness advantage and look attractively priced with a one-goal Asian handicap start, meaning a winning wager should they win or draw and stakes returned if they suffer a single-goal defeat.

Joao Gomes (right) is not afraid to get stuck inCredit: NurPhoto via Getty Images

Destructive Gomes could be disciplined

Joao Gomes is a key player in the Wolves midfield with the ability to make the ball work and a talent for breaking up opposition attacks, but he received ten cards in the Premier League last season and looks an obvious cautioun candidate this weekend.

Exciting contest could see the points shared

Wolves scored 54 times last season and only Tottenham outscored them among the bottom half finishers. They can cause problems for City, but will be stretched at the other end against a team packed with attacking talent. Given the offensive capabilities of both sides, a case could be made for a high-scoring draw.

Wolves vs Manchester City Bet Builder

Over 2.5 goals

City have kept only one clean sheet on their last seven visits to Molineux and they could be dragged into another high-scoring game.

Jorgen Strand Larsen to score anytime

The Norwegian finished last season with 14 goals and will offer the main threat to Pep Guardiola's side.

Jhon Arias to have a shot on target

The Colombian attacker had 13 shots in six appearances for Fluminense at the Club World Cup and has every chance of hitting the target against City.

Returns 6-1 with Paddy Power

Key stats for Wolves vs Manchester City

♦ Wolves have scored in six of their last seven home games against Manchester City
♦ Wolves have won three of their last five home fixtures
♦ Manchester City won just nine of 19 away league games last season
♦ City’s last three matches have all featured at least four goals
♦ City’s 71-point haul last season was their lowest since the 2015-16 campaign

Wolves vs Manchester City betting odds

Sign up with Betfair to bet on Wolves vs Manchester City in Premier League. Here are the latest odds for Saturday's match at Molineux.

Odds correct at time of publishing

Want more top football betting advice? Make sure you take a look at Racing Post Sport's tips for more of the latest picks from our experts.

Wolves vs Manchester City team news and predicted line-ups

Wolves

New signings Jhon Arias, Fer Lopez and David Wolfe could feature but Leon Chiwone, Yerson Mosquera (both knee) and Fabio Silva (thigh) are definite absentees.

Predicted line-up (3-4-2-1): Sa; Doherty, Agbadou, Toti Gomes; Hoever, Joao Gomes, Andre, Wolfe; Lopez, Arias; Strand Larsen.
Subs: Bellegarde, R Gomes, S Bueno, Hwang, Kalajdzic, Mosquera, Munetsi.

Manchester City

Rodri (groin) will not be ready for the start of the season and Mateo Kovacic (achilles) won't play until the autumn. Phil Foden, Claudio Echeverri (both ankle) and Josko Gvardiol (knock) are managing minor injuries.

Predicted line-up (4-3-3): Ederson; Nunes, Dias, Akanji, Ait-Nouri; Bernardo, Gundogan, Reijnders; Cherki, Haaland, Marmoush.
Subs: Stones, Doku, Foden, Gvardiol, Lewis, O'Reilly, Gonzalez.

Read more on the Premier League:

Aston Villa vs Newcastle predictions, team news, betting tips, odds and Bet Builder 

Premier League predictions, football betting tips and free bets for Saturday's 3pm kick-offs

Premier League Bet Builder tips: Fabian Schar could fall foul of referee at Villa Park 

FAQs for Wolves vs Manchester City

When is Wolves vs Manchester City in the Premier League?

The Premier League match between Wolves and Manchester City is scheduled to kick off at 5.30pm on Saturday, August 16.

Where is Wolves vs Manchester City being played?

Wolves versus Manchester City will take place at Molineux in Wolverhampton, England.

Where can I watch Wolves vs Manchester City?

Wolves versus Manchester City will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Premier League to UK viewers.

What is the match betting for Wolves vs Manchester City?

Manchester City are the 2-5 favourites while Wolves are a 11-2 chance. The draw is available to back at 3-1.

Click for free bets and betting offers from the Racing Post

Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing and sports betting.