English Premier
2011-05-14 - Sunderland vs Wolves
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football : English Premier League
Saturday 14 May 2011 - Kickoff 12:45pm
Sunderland
If there was one side in the Premier League that would like the season to end today, I would guess it is Sunderland. A terrible run of form coincided with the departure of Darren Bent, although 2 positive results in recent weeks arrested a slide that threatened to send Sunderland down to the Championship.
The Black Cats are up to 12th in the Premier League, but it is a long way from the heady heights of the Winter when European football was being talked about in this part of the World. They still have a chance of finishing above local rivals Newcastle, both having the same amount of points at the moment. Sunderland are 7-5-6 at the Stadium of Light this season, scoring 24 goals and conceding 24.
Sunderland have won 2 of their last 3 League games following a run of 8 defeats in 9 games. Home comforts have been few and far between in 2011- Sunderland have played 9 home games in this calender year, losing 7 and winning just 1. They have lost 5 of their last 6 at home, the latest being a 0-3 reverse to Fulham.
Steve Bruce has revealed that only 12 senior players have managed to train this week. Lee Cattermole is yet another absentee which means young players like Ryan Noble could be given their opportunity.
Wolves
It was all looking a little bit bleak for Wolves going into their game with local rivals West Brom last Sunday, but a huge win later and their destiny is in their own hands. With Blackburn visiting Molineaux on the last day, Mick McCarthy must feel grateful that their future can be secured with 2 solid performances.
The win over West Brom moved Wolves to 37 points and also 1 point clear of the relegation zone, with both Wigan and Blackpool on 36 points behind them. They have struggled away from home this season, compiling a 2-3-13 record, scoring just 13 goals but conceding 35. Suffice to say, Wolves have lost the most away games in the League and scored the fewest goals.
After picking up 8 points from a possible 12 in a period between February and March, it seemed Wolves were going to be fine this season. However, they followed that with 2 points gained from a possible 15 before the win over West Brom last week to give themselves hope. Wolves have failed to win their last 3 away games, but would have been more positive about the 1 point gained at Birmingham following 2 defeats where they conceded 7 goals in total.
The big news for Mick McCarthy this week was the return of Kevin Doyle to full fitness. He will possibly start off the bench for this game after Steven Fletcher scored 2 goals last week.
Head to Head
Wolves do not have the best record at Sunderland, losing on each of their last 4 visits, including a 5-2 defeat here last season.
In fact, Wolves' last victory over Sunderland away from home came at Roker Park back in 1993.
Wolves did beat Sunderland 3-2 at home earlier this season.
Prediction
Sunderland may have won 2 of their last 3 games, but injuries have really hurt this team and I am sure they are more interested in their Summer plans than having to deal with a team fighting for their future.
The win at Bolton was impressive last week, but the Trotters were also playing out the season, while Sunderland's home form has been nothing short of poor all through 2011.
Wolves played well last week against West Brom, but the away side were poor, and Mick McCarthy will want his side to continue playing in a positive manner. The return of Kevin Doyle could be a huge boost to this team, while a win could all but secure their future.
The injuries being dealt with by the home team will not help their cause here, and I think Wolves have a real opportunity to pick up 3 points that could effectively seal their future in the Premier League as they reach the magical 40 point mark.
The Stadium of Light does not hold happy memories for Wolves fans at the moment, but that could all have changed by 3pm tomorrow.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Sunderland 1-2 Wolves
BEST BETTING TIP :
I'll back Wolves to WIN @ 2.88 (2 UNITS)Follow me on Twitter- the direct link is below
