Wolves vs. West Ham Odds
| Wolves Odds | +180 |
| West Ham Odds | +170 |
| Draw | +210 |
| Over/Under | 2.5 (+138 / -175) |
| Day | Time | Monday | 3:15 p.m. ET |
| How To Watch | Peacock Premium |
| Odds updated Sunday evening and via DraftKings. | |
Clubs looking to kickstart the final chapter of the Premier League campaigns go at it Monday when Wolves host West Ham United at Molineux Stadium.
Wolverhampton has been going downhill after a promising start to its season. The hosts are winless in their last four league fixtures, suffering a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Liverpool last time out.
On the other side, West Ham was winless in its last two games prior to the hiatus. Obviously, falling into that rut could not have come at a worse time, due to the fact the Hammers are in a heated race for one of league's four coveted Champions League berths.
Suffice it to say, both teams had to be happy when the international break hit the calendar, as neither was anything close to its best form.
Let's take a look and see what could be on deck in this intriguing affair.
Wolves
For me, I truly wonder what motivating factors Wolverhampton brings into this affair. Much like I pointed out when talking about Crystal Palace prior to its match against Everton, I'm not sure I know the answer.
Wolves, who are in 13th place on 35 points, are in no danger of being relegated and don't stand much of a chance of cracking the top 10 in my opinion. For those reasons, I just feel Wolverhampton could become an uninspired group there the rest of the way, which will play right into West Ham's hands.
The defense hasn't been the real issue for Wolves. Instead, it's what's going on — or rather lack thereof — on the offensive side of the pitch. In their last four outings, they've recorded just two goals combined in two draws and two losses. That's simply not going to cut it at any level of competition.
Statistically, Wolverhampton has been up some subpar numbers in the advanced metrics. Wolves sit on 30.0 expected goals and a decent 33.9 xGA, resulting in a lackluster -3.9 xGDiff and relatively flat -0.13 xGDiff/90 minutes.
West Ham
It goes without saying there weren't many fans or pundits who had West Ham penciled in on their short list of Premier League clubs earning spots into next season's Champions League.
Well, the Hammers are more than in the middle of the hunt for one of the three remaining tickets — yes, you can lock frontrunner Manchester City into the first berth — and securing a win in this match would go a long way in helping them move closer to that goal.
Tomáš Souček has a team-best nine goals for West Ham, which currently sits in sixth place on the table with 49 points. The Hammers are actually tied with Liverpool on points, but the defending champion holds the tiebreaker. However, manager David Moyes' men have a game in hand and can pull ahead of both fourth-place Chelsea (51 points) and the Reds with a victory.
Souček leads the Hammers with a team-best nine goals. He's received plenty of support via Michail Antonio, whose mustered seven goals and five assists, and defender Aaron Creswell (team-high seven assists) this season.
When comparing numbers with Wolverhampton, West Ham leads its opponent in all categories. The Hammers sit on a respectable 40.3 xG and 33.8 xGA, resulting in a solid +6.5 xGDiff and +0.23 xGDiff/90 minutes.
Betting Analysis & Picks
This match comes down to which club has more to play and more on the line. Needless to say, that's West Ham. Bagging all three points against fading foes would give them so much confidence moving forward, which is why I'm backing the Hammers via a Draw No Bet wager at +115 odds via DraftKings.
I will also put a little on the total staying under the alternative number of 2.25 goals (-132) as well. There have been two goals or less in Wolves' last three games at Molineux, so I will target that trend to continue.
Picks: West Ham — Draw No Bet (+115) | Total Under 2.25 Goals (-132)
