Wolves v Southampton predictions & free football tips: Back the draw

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Wolves v Southampton in the FA Cup on Thursday.

Where to watch

BT Sport 1, 5.30pm Thursday

Best bet

Draw
1pt 9-4 bet365

Team news

Wolves
Willy Boly and Daniel Podence have joined Raul Jimenez and Fernando Marcal on the sidelines.

Southampton
Kyle Walker-Peters and Mohammed Salisu are fit. Ibrahima Diallo, Stuart Armstrong, Theo Walcott, Will Smallbone and Michael Obafemi are injured, Takumi Minamino is cup-tied and Alex Jankiewitz is banned.

Match preview

Beaten with nine men, beaten by nine men, well below their best and short of key players - there's no great appetite for wanting to side with Southampton in their FA Cup fifth-round showdown at Molineux.

On the flip side, short of goals and short of wins, Wolves don't make much more appeal.

The last two meetings between Wolverhampton and Southampton in the Black Country have ended all-square and this one could complete the hat-trick.

It has been a trying few weeks for Ralph Hasenhuttl, who has seen his Saints side crash out of the top-six reckoning in spectacular fashion.

The Austrian may be able to field his first-choice defence for the first time since before Christmas, he can count on James Ward-Prowse for a moment of dead-ball magic and there are far inferior goal-getters to rely on than Danny Ings.

But confidence is through the floor after five straight top-flight defeats, especially the manner of the last two.

Conceding nine at Manchester United was simply abysmal, no matter that they had a man sent off early. Losing at Newcastle, who played out the last 20 minutes with nine men, was not a lot better.

Since beating Sheffield United 3-0 before Christmas they have scored only five goals in ten games in the league and three of those net-finders – Theo Walcott, Stuart Armstrong and Takumi Minamino – aren't available.

Their bench looks wafer-thin in terms of experience or attacking options.

Let's not pretend Wolves are flying because they very definitely are not.

They, too, have injury problems – the ongoing absence of top scorer Raul Jimenez continues to impact on them – but they have also seen Jonny Castro come back and he can expect another run-out after a long layoff. It's hardly like for like but Nuno is delighted to have the wing-back available.

Leander Dendoncker slotted in to the back three at the weekend and looked perfectly at ease repelling Leicester in a 0-0 draw. That was their second clean sheet in four matches against top opposition.

What Wolves don't look like doing, however, is scoring goals and chances could be at a premium.

It's too early to say anything about Willian Jose other than it's a struggle for him. He can't even depend upon Daniel Podence for company, any hint of an understanding between them unceremoniously ended by another injury for the ex-Olympiakos man.

Key stat

Southampton have won two of their last 11 games against top-flight opponents.

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