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EPL Leicester City vs Wolves Preview: Tips, Odds, and Prediction

With excitement building and anticipation growing ahead of kickoff, Premier League betting fans are already diving into the odds and assessing both teams, hoping to find the best value. For a detailed, in-depth look at the match, be sure to check out our full preview.

Tim Rickson
Tim Rickson

Last Updated: 2024-12-20

Chad Nagel

6 minutes read

Jamie Vardy

Jamie Vardy//Getty Images

Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester City welcomes Vitor Pereira’s Wolves to the King Power Stadium the day before Christmas Eve, with both new managers and their teams hoping to unwrap three points as an early Christmas gift.

At the time of writing, both teams are in the bottom four with just five points separating them, so this match is crucial. A win for 19th placed Wolves will see them claw their way up the relegation zone with fresh hopes of escaping, but victory for the hosts will push them further clear to safety.

After conceding late to relegation rivals Ipswich on December 14, marking a fourth consecutive loss, the struggling side sacked their manager Gary O’Neil, so this will be Portuguese Pereira’s first game in charge for the Midlands club.

Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability: Leicester City Slight Favourites

  1. Home: 3/2 (2.50) – 40

  2. Draw: 5/2 (3.50) – 28,6%

  3. Away: 7/4 (2.75) – 36/4%

  4. *Odds courtesy of Betway, subject to change*

Head-to-Head Record

Last Five Meetings

  1. 22/04/23: Leicester City 2-1 Wolves

  2. 23/10/22: Wolves 0-4 Leicester City

  3. 20/02/22: Wolves 2-1 Leicester City

  4. 14/08/21: Leicester City 1-0 Wolves

  5. 07/02/21: Wolves 0-0 Leicester City

Leicester City: Current Form – LDWLLL

At the time of writing, the 2015-16 Premier League champions have conceded in all of their last six fixtures, letting in 18 goals in total, averaging three per game, which is a worryingly high amount.

Four goals against Newcastle in their last fixture handed van Nistelrooy his first defeat as City boss. The Foxes managed just four shots on goal, while Newcastle registered 27.

New boss van Nistelrooy has so far experienced all the results in his first three games in charge – a win, draw and loss, in that order.

After this relegation battle with Wolves, Leicester City have to face Liverpool and Manchester City back-to-back, so points are going to be hard to come by, making this clash even more crucial.

Key Players To Watch

  • Jamie Vardy – Top striker Vardy has six goals and three assists already this season. 180 goals in 420 games for The Foxes makes him the club’s third-all-time top scorer. Ironically, scoring in 11 consecutive Premier League matches broke the record previously held by his new boss, Van Nistelrooy. In the 2019-20 season, he became the oldest player to ever win the Premier League Golden Boot.
  • Stephy Mavididi – The left-winger is the second-highest goalscorer in the squad and a key free-kick and penalty taker. 26 from Derby, Mavididi was a youth player at Arsenal in 2015 but joined Leicester in July 2023 and helped The Foxes gain promotion back to the top flight.
  • Wilfred Ndidi – The Nigerian defensive midfielder has four assists already this season. The 28-year-old has played over 200 games for The Foxes since joining for £17 million in December 2016. 

Leicester City Team News

After Steve Cooper was fired in November, Ruud van Nistelrooy became the manager on December 1 and given a contract until June 2027, becoming the first Dutchman to ever manage Leicester City.

Goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk, 23 from Poland, has returned from injury and is finally back in the squad.

New boss Van Nistelrooy was told he has money to spend in the January transfer window. He has shown an interest in having Chelsea midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, a City academy graduate, back on loan only six months after his £30 million move.

Wolves: Current Form – LLLLWW

56-year-old Vitor Pereira finally achieves his dream of coaching in the Premier League after over a decade of wishing, so he is going to give his all to keep Wolverhampton Wanderers in the EPL. He is so keen on his new assignment that he has already taken his first training session within a day of agreeing an 18-month contract. His presence will naturally elevate the players, who will be looking to impress their new gaffer. 

The Midlands club have only won two from 16 Premier League games and let in 40 goals, which is the worst record in the league. However, they have managed to find the net 24 times, which is joint ninth highest, along with Bournemouth (6th), Villa (7th) and Fulham (8th).

Wolves have conceded in all of their last five fixtures, conceding 13 goals overall, almost three per game. The club’s decision to not replace centre-back Max Kilman in the summer has proven disastrous as the team are so vulnerable at the back, but that could be remedied in the January transfer window.

Former Manchester United player, Gary Neville, has already stated his belief that Wolves will be relegated this season after reviewing their recent under-par performances.

Key Players To Watch

  • Jorgen Strand Larsen – On loan from Celta Vigo, the Norwegian has scored six in 16 for Wolves, showing consistency and promise for the struggling side.
  • Matheus Cunha – Brazilian winger, Matheus Cunha, has scored 20 goals for Wolves since signing for the club last summer after a loan spell.
  • Mario Lemina – Midfielder Mario Lemina is strong and powerful with good technical skills and passing ability, which is why he has played 76 games for Wolves since joining only a year ago. Lemina was named Wolves Supporters Player of the Year last season.

Wolves Team News

Wolves have been linked to two defensive recruits in the January transfer window. Former Everton centre-back Ben Godfrey and Brighton’s Adam Webster have reportedly captured the attention of the club.

Enso Gonzalez returns to training following an ACL injury sustained at the 2024 Olympic Games with Paraguay.

Predicted Line-Ups

  1. Leicester City: 4-2-3-1

    Hermansen; Justin, Coady, Vestergaard, Kristiansen; Skipp, Choudhary; McAteer, Khannouss, Mavididi; Vardy.

  2. Wolves: 3-4-2-1

    Johnstone; Semedo, Bueno Gomes; Doherty, Andre, Lemina, Ait-Nouri; Bellegarde, Cunha; Strand Larsen.

Suggested Bets

If you love betting on football, here are some bets you can place at some of the popular sportsbooks.

  1. Jamie Vardy to Score First: Already a club legend, Jamie Vardy to score first is a realistic option with good odds. (27/5 with Betway) (5/1 with 1Win)

  2. Correct Score: The odds for Leicester to win 3-2 looks attractive. (25/1 with Betway) (25/1 with 1Win)

  3. Total Goals Over 5.5: Considering how many both teams have conceded already, over 5.5 goals scored could be likely. (7/1 with Betway) (79/10 with 1Win)

Value Bets

  1. Facundo Buonanotte – Anytime Goalscorer: With four Premier League goals already this season, Buonanotte to score anytime in the match is worth a punt. (11/4 with 1Win)

  2. Strand Larsen – Anytime Goalscorer: Wolves’ top striker could score anytime in the match. (12/5 with 1Win)

  3. First Team to Score – Leicester City: The home team to score first is a very likely prospect. (4/5 with 1Win)

Prediction: Leicester City to Win

With both teams facing a fight for survival, this game is bound to be a war of attrition, like so many relegation battles often are.

Considering how many goals these two teams have let in already this season; football fans could expect to see a high scoreline in this frosty fixture.

The Foxes have the home advantage, are holding the higher position in the league, and are slightly favoured to win at the bookies.

The visitors will be motivated by the arrival of their new boss, so they will be fully energised when they make their short trip along the M6.

In what’s guaranteed to be a close contest, we predict Leicester City to triumph in a 3-2 thriller.

Tim Rickson
Tim RicksonSports Writer

Tim has over 27 years experience within the sports industry, working for football clubs Arsenal FC and Millwall FC, and boxing news websites British Boxing News, Boxing Social and Global Boxing News. His boxing articles have been published in Boxing News Magazine, national newspapers, plus many other major news outlets.