Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Southampton – FA Cup, February 11, 2021

Wolves and Southampton will both be hoping to pick up a positive result away from the Premier League when they meet in the FA Cup fifth round on Thursday, February 11.

Both sides have found themselves sliding down the EPL standings in recent weeks, but with a place in the FA Cup quarter-finals up for grabs, we are set for a competitive match at Molineux.

In this Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Southampton betting preview, I assess the bookies’ odds and share my prediction and pick.

As you can see, the top online sportsbooks are favoring Wolves (2.35) to win on Thursday. That said, the high price for the home win indicates that Nuno’s men won’t have it all their own way.

Southampton (3.05) hasn’t been on a good run of late, but the south coast side is more than capable of getting a result at Molineux.

It wouldn’t be unfair to say that Wolves have been one of the most inconsistent teams in the Premier League this season.

That statement is backed up by the fact that Nuno’s men have only registered back-to-back wins on one occasion this term – and those victories came all the way back in October.

More recently, the Wanderers have only managed to win one of their last ten EPL matches, recording five defeats and four draws in that time. Wolves’ sole win since Christmas came against Arsenal last week, although the Gunners did have two men sent off.

Of course, Raul Jimenez’s lengthy injury has negatively impacted the team, especially in attack. Wolves haven’t been able to replace the Mexican forward’s goals, firing a blank in three of the last four games.

Having narrowly edged past sixth-tier Chorley 0-1 in the previous round of the FA Cup, the Wanderers could struggle against Southampton.

We all know that Saints started the season strongly, but over the past couple of months, their campaign has clearly taken a turn for the worse.

Following an impressive victory over Liverpool in early January, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men have since suffered five straight losses in the Premier League, with some hefty scorelines coming along the way.

As well as conceding three goals in defeats to Arsenal and Newcastle, Saints were humiliated by Manchester United at the beginning of February, losing 9-0 at Old Trafford.

So, can they turn things around?

Well, yes, they can. Southampton’s squad is packed with quality, yet the team is obviously underperforming at the moment. In my opinion, Thursday’s FA Cup clash provides Saints with somewhat of a “free hit.”

It is no secret that both Wolves and Southampton have been struggling to score goals recently. With that in mind, I’m expecting this to be a cagey encounter with very few clear-cut chances.

Also, with both sides now prioritizing a top-half finish in the EPL, we are likely to see the managers rotate their teams on Thursday.

On top of that, Wolves and Saints produced a 1-1 draw at Molineux in the Premier League back in November, so I believe the draw is the best bet for this matchup.