Premier League Preview and Pick: Wolverhampton vs. Tottenham

Spots in next season’s European competitions are still very much up for grabs for the Tottenham Hotspurs as they get set to host the Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday. With just three games left in the Premier League season, points are at a premium for everybody. Tottenham will be favored at home on Sunday with a moneyline of -194. Meanwhile, Wolverhampton’s moneyline is set at +584 while a draw is listed at +355.

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Tottenham Preview

Hopes of finishing in the top-4 have all but sailed for Spurs, who are eight points out of fourth place with three games left. However, Tottenham can still secure a Europa League spot by finishing fifth or sixth. Currently, Spurs are seventh but just two points behind West Ham United for a Europa League position. Unfortunately, a 3-1 loss to Leeds United last weekend was a huge blow for Tottenham, despite the club looking better under interim manager Ryan Mason in recent weeks.

Spurs have two wins and two losses since Jose Mourinho was dismissed and Mason was put in charge. Of course, one of those losses was against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final. The club won its first two Premier League games under Mason before running into a hot Leeds team last weekend. Tottenham has scored seven goals in those three Premier League games, including a hat trick from Gareth Bale in a win over Sheffield United. They also have the tandem of Harry Kane, who leads the Premier League in both goals and assists, and Son Heung-Min, who is third in the Premier League goals and tied for second in assists. That tandem makes the Tottenham opponent dangerous regardless of the opponent.

Of course, defending their goal became an issue for Spurs during last week’s loss to Leeds. Going back to Mourinho’s time as manager, Tottenham has conceded 12 goals in the club’s last seven matches going back to the start of April. However, giving up just two goals in Mason’s first three matches in charge was a considerable improvement for Spurs, who finally seem to have settled on the right personnel for the backline and still have one of the world’s best goalies in Hugo Lloris.

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Wolverhampton Preview

This has not been the season Wolverhampton was hoping for when the campaign started. Wolves currently sit 12th in the Premier League table with 45 points. They are well clear of the relegation zone but far from contention for spots in European competitions. It’s a far cry from last season when they tied Spurs on points but finished seventh and missed out on Europa League because of goal differential. In fact, Wolverhampton has finished seventh in back-to-back seasons, so this was a considerable step back for the club.

The silver lining is that Wolves have three wins and a draw over their last five matches. However, they have just five goals in those matches, continuing a season-long problem for the club. Wolverhampton ranks 16th in the Premier League, scoring just 35 goals in 35 matches. Wolves have failed to get over the injury to striker Raul Jimenez, who scored four goals in his first 10 Premier League games before being lost to injury. Over the course of the season, only Ruben Neves and Pedro Neto have surpassed Jimenez’s total of four goals, which says everything you need to know about how Wolverhampton has struggled to replace his production.

With scoring goals being a problem, Wolverhampton has been forced to get by with defense this season. However, they’ve conceded 47 goals in 35 matches, which is a tick below average in the Premier League this season. Things have improved only slightly for Nuno Espírito Santo’s club late in the season. Wolves have two clean sheets over their last five games and allowed one goal or less in four of those games. Unfortunately for Wolverhampton, that stretch also includes a 4-0 loss to Burnley. It’s also worth noting that all five teams Wolves have played during that stretch are below them in the table with their two clean sheets coming against relegation-bound teams.

The Pick

While Tottenham has been far from perfect, Wolverhampton has been knocked around by the teams at the top of the table. Despite being giant killers in recent years, Wolves have struggled against quality opponents, especially during the second half of the campaign. Meanwhile, Tottenham has been better under Mason and move willing to play on the front foot. The sometimes leaky Spurs defense will get a break this week while the attack of Kane, Son, and Bale will prove to be too much for the Wolverhampton backline.

Pick: Tottenham 3-1