Wolves v Leicester: Base your bets around goals for both sides

Both teams to score looks a banker here but with Raul Jimenez in such good form, joining the two gives us the game's best wager, says Jamie Pacheco.

Wolves v Leicester
Friday February 14, 20:00
TV: live on BT Sport 1

What's Espirito-Santo's priority?

Wolves are currently ninth and one suspects Nuno Espirito Santo has a big decision to make over the next few weeks.

Try to go as far as possible in the Europa League given he doesn't know when they'll next have a chance to even be in it? They're up against Espanyol next and are favourites to progress.

Or focus on finishing as high as possible in the league?

In the end it may be a bit of both. The likes of Rui Patricio, Raul Jimenez and Conor Coady are irreplaceable but after a few decent signings, this is a strong-looking squad and the manager has plenty of options, meaning he can rotate when needed.

He won't be able to count on Patrick Crutone or Helder Costa anymore, though. They've both been sent out on loan.

Foxes need a bit of Vardy magic

Leicester aren't enjoying 2020 so much. After an excellent start to the season, the New Year has seen them crash out of the Carabao Cup and have some mixed results in the league.

There were wins over Newcastle and West Ham but also back-to-back defeats against Southampton and Burnley.

The problem may simply be the form of Jamie Vardy. They're a completely different side when he's at his irritant best: closing down defenders, chasing lost causes and forcing mistakes. But he's now five games without a goal. His 'accomplice' James Maddison has been a bit quiet of late, as well.

They need a decent run over the next couple of weeks so they can cement third place with Chelsea, Spurs and even Sheffield United believing they can challenge them for it.

Match odds market-makers on the money

If you'd crunched a few numbers and priced up the match winner market in your own mind, you would probably have come up with numbers very close to the ones on offer.

Wolves are the favourites at 2.60, the draw 3.35 and Leicester 3.05. It goes without saying that if the prices are spot-on, then there's no value on offer.

If you were desperate to play the market, then go with the biggest price of the three, which of course is the draw. But we can do better than that.

Goals market hard to split as well

Overs or unders? 41% of Wolves' home games this season have gone 'overs' and it's 67% of Leicester away matches that have gone over 2.5 goals this campaign. So pretty even. As is the head-to-head between the two with a perfect 5/5 split in terms of the last 10 games they've faced each other.

No wonder the layers are finding it hard to split the two. But with overs just a shade above even money, that's probably the way to go if you wanted to play this one.

The answer lies in a Same-Game Multi-Bet

The solution to a game full of uncertainty may be the Same-Game Multi-Bet option.

We can make a good case for 'both teams to score'. Especially because Wolves are the kings of that outcome. It's happened in 19 of their matches this season (76%), more than anyone else. The figure shoots up to 83% when just looking at their home games. It's 58% of Leicester's away games that have seen both sides net at least once and those stats are more than enough to convince us the 'yes' runner is definitely the one to go with on this market at 4/5.

Raul Jimenez will have been one of the league's players who most benefited from the Winter break. He's played a load of games this season and works tirelessly in all of them and will come back from it rested and raring to go.

He's fresh from scoring three in his last three after a brace against Southampton and one at home to Liverpool and as ever, will be the team's focal point in attack. He has 11 for the season in the league.

Take the 17/10 he scores again and combine it with that 4/5 on both teams scoring; the double comes to 3.70.