Wolves v Brighton: Low-scoring contest likely at Molineux

“Both teams have struggled in the final third this season with Wolves scoring just 33 league goals and Brighton only netting 31 times.”

Wolves had high hopes of qualifying for Europe but their form has dipped at the wrong time with Brighton their latest opponents this weekend. Bruno Lage’s team have impressed for much of this season but there have been signs their lack of squad depth and shortage of goals could deny them a top-seven finish.

Three defeats from their last four Premier League matches have stalled their progress. Wolves, eighth, beat rivals Aston Villa at the start of April but have since lost 1-0 to Newcastle and relegation-threatened Burnley. Last weekend’s setback at Turf Moor highlighted their attacking deficiencies. Raul Jimenez is their top scorer but his return of six goals underlines their limitations in the final third.

Brighton pushing for top ten finish

Brighton have again excelled in the top flight with Graham Potter’s side challenging for a top half finish. Currently 11th, Brighton have established themselves in the Premier League and Potter’s work has been widely heralded for developing Brighton’s progressive style.

The Seagulls suffered a downturn over the winter which included a six-match losing run. Brighton snapped out of this slump with back-to-back wins in north London.

A 2-1 victory at top-four challengers Arsenal was followed by a late 1-0 win at Tottenham.

Brighton spurned a two-goal lead at home to south coast rivals Southampton last weekend with James Ward-Prowse’s double securing a 2-2 draw.

Wolves are marginal favourites at 2.89/5 but their odds suggest it is difficult to split the teams. The hosts are out of form though with just one victory from their last four games which tempers enthusiasm in them. Their recent results suggest it is hard to be confident in trusting Wolves this weekend.

Brighton are fractionally bigger at 2.9215/8 but that hardly screams value either. The Seagulls have been stronger away from home, with six of their nine wins on the road. But no team in the top 13 have won fewer matches this season and their price is not big enough to warrant interest.

The draw is trading at 3.39/4 and is the most appealing option in this market. No team have drawn more than Brighton’s 14 matches this season with this outcome always a strong possibility. Conversely, Wolves’ 15 league games in 2022 have all failed to result in a draw. This looks a closely-matched affair and preference is to look elsewhere for a bet.

Anyone hoping for a high-scoring clash could be disappointed with a cagey contest likely. Both teams have struggled in the final third this season with Wolves scoring just 33 league goals and Brighton only netting 31 times. Wolves’ last two matches have both resulted in under two goals. The attacking limitations on show suggest a bet on under 1.5 goals can pay off at [2.78].

There is every chance of a slow burner with neither team renowned for an explosive start.

Three of Wolves’ last five matches have been goalless at half-time and two of Brighton’s last three games have failed to produce a first-half goal.

There is every chance these teams cancel each other out and a bet on 0-0 as the half-time score stands out at 7/5.

Anyone looking to take advantage of Betfair’s Bet Builder could do worse than consider forward Leandro Trossard to score, after netting in two of Brighton’s last three away games, and under 2.5 goals which inflates the odds to a whopping 14.47.

Opta Stat

Only Watford (eight) have had fewer different goalscorers in the Premier League than Brighton this season (nine, excluding own goals).

Follow Simon’s bets on Twitter @watfordtipster