ENGLISH PREMIER BETTING PREVIEW - MANCHESTER UNITED VS WOLVES

English Premier

2025-12-30 - Manchester United vs Wolves

A Sports Betting Preview by Auls

Manchester United v Wolves
Football: English Premier League
Tuesday 30th December 2025 - Kick Off 8:15pm
This game is live on TV

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Manchester United

Injuries and international absentees have stretched the Manchester United options and that meant a very young, inexperienced looking team were battling to hold onto the three points on Boxing Day. Ruben Amorim will have been very pleased with the fact that his team were able to beat Newcastle United 1-0 at Old Trafford and that should give everyone a lift ahead of the last game at home in the calendar year.

They are up into 6th place in the Premier League table and Manchester United are only 3 points behind Liverpool in the top four as we conclude the first half of the season. Home form has been a little mixed with Manchester United producing a 5-2-2 record at Old Trafford in the Premier League so far.

Manchester United's win over Newcastle United is the third in the last 9 Premier League games played, while they have only been beaten in 1 of the last 6 ahead of this fixture. After a run of disappointing home results, everyone associated with Manchester United will be pleased with the three points earned at Old Trafford on Boxing Day.

Bruno Fernandes is expected to miss a few more days as he looks to overcome a hamstring issue, while Kobbie Mainoo is a doubt. The likes of Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire are making slow recovery from injury, while Mason Mount was withdrawn at half time on Friday and has to be considered a doubt as well.

Wolves

Some fans are perhaps suggesting the Wolves board should make another change in the manager's office to try and spark revival, but that seems very harsh on Rob Edwards. In reality those above him have to have had one eye on a season in the Championship under an experienced manager at that level when appointing Edwards, although the manager himself will still believe he can keep Wolves in the top flight.

Another defeat on Saturday makes that seem unlikely with Wolves rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table and having secured just 2 points all season. Despite battling at Anfield and giving Liverpool something to think about, Wolves now have a 0-1-8 away record in the Premier League and have scored 3 goals and conceded 16 in those matches.

Wolves have been beaten in 12 games in a row in all competitions and there is very little to be positive about during such a miserable run. The side have lost 6 away Premier League games since the 1-1 draw at Tottenham Hotspur, although Wolves have made Aston Villa (1-0), Arsenal (2-1) and Liverpool (2-1) really have to work hard for three points in recent away fixtures.

The squad that was available on Saturday should be set to travel to the North West on Tuesday evening.

Head to Head

When these teams met at Molineux earlier this month, the game was tied 1-1 at half time before Manchester United earned a thumping 1-4 victory.

Manchester United had won twice in a row at Old Trafford against Wolves, but were beaten 0-1 here last April.

Prediction

With all the injuries in the Manchester United squad, the short odds for a home win look hard to stomach.

However, they are facing a Wolves team who have lost 12 games in a row in all competitions.

This means the layers are not going to be giving anything away, especially with a club like Manchester United who will be heavily backed by punters.

All of that means Manchester United are short odds and it may actually be another game in which a narrow win is needed, if the home team are indeed to get the better of this opponent. Over the last several weeks, West Ham United, Everton and Bournemouth have earned positive results at Old Trafford and so Wolves can at least have some belief they can snap their poor run of form.

Rob Edwards will also take encouragement from the narrow defeats to Aston Villa, Arsenal and Liverpool.

If Wolves can frustrate Manchester United early, they may feel that the home team have a lack of depth to change the attacking approach they are going to take. This will help, although Wolves have made errors at the back that makes it hard to believe they can do enough to earn a positive result and at least edge closer to Derby County's record low point total.

Potentially losing Mason Mount is another blow for Manchester United, although Ruben Amorim sounded like he was removing the midfielder as a precaution in the win over Newcastle United.

A couple of the younger Manchester United players impressed in that victory and it could be best to approach one of those to continue what has been a couple of very good weeks.

Patrick Dorgu is being asked to play higher up the pitch with the likes of Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo missing, and he has scored one and assisted another in the last couple of games. The Danish international is odds against to do that here and likely will be the third attacker for Manchester United alongside Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko, which makes Patrick Dorgu a big looking price to be involved in a goal on Tuesday.

Bet365 off 'sub play on' and that could also be important if Dorgu is replaced in this game with an attacking option and it is the first signing made by Ruben Amorim who could be an important figure for the manager again.

The Pick :

Manchester United 2-1 Wolves

FIXED ODDS BETTING :

I'll back Patrick Dorgu to Score or Assist at 2.30 with Bet365 (Sub Play On)

HANDICAP BETTING :

Let's be clear the 1.33 price on Man United to beat Wolves is a stupidly low price given the home sides injuries, and it's only justified if you look at Wolves 0-2-16 record.

ManYoo are managing to edge results which is a testiment to hard work and the manager is slowly getting things right but the 8.00 to 9.00 on Wolves to win is so +EV (238%) that it rings alarm bells.

Wolves in their last 3 away games have faced Aston Villa, Arsenal and Liverpool, and only lost 0-1, 1-2 and 1-2. On the face of it that IS a side that is competitive and could spring a surprise.

But they're also the worst scorers in the league (10 goals) and the leakiest defence (39 goals) and with a form line that says 12 losses in a row in all comps.

I just can't back that - no matter what the spreadsheet says about great value. But I'm just posting and letting you know

... and if Wolves pinch a result at Old Trafford tomorrow then we can both slap our foreheads and say DOH! (Homer Simpson style) having missed a massive payout.

No bet - despite the sheet.