Crystal Palace vs Wolves predictions: Eagles to edge tight encounter

Crystal Palace are looking to get back on a winning path when they welcome managerless Wolves to Selhurst Park on Tuesday.

Palace head into the clash on home soil sitting 13th in the table after being held to a goalless draw when visiting Leicester on Saturday.

Performing on the road has been an issue for the Eagles so Patrick Vieira will welcome a return to Selhurst Park as they look to start edging up the standings.

Wolves will be the visitors this time around and interim boss Steve Davis, who has been in charge for the last two games, will be in the dugout once again.

The 57-year-old led the West Midlands outfit to just their second win of the season last time out as they overcame rock-bottom Nottingham Forest 1-0 at home.

Team news

Chris Richards, Jack Butland, James McArthur and Nathaniel Clyne all remain unavailable for Palace due to injury, but Will Hughes could return after he missed the trip to Leicester with illness.

Attacking duo Michael Olise and Jean-Philippe Mateta both came off the bench against the Foxes and will be hoping for a recall.

Wolves can welcome back defender Nathan Collins after completing his three-game suspension for the red card he picked up against Manchester City.

Collins’ availability means he is likely to partner Max Kilman at the back, which would bring Toti Gomes’ run in the starting XI to an end.

Chiquinho and Sasa Kalajdzic are long-term absentees for Wolves with knee injuries, while Raul Jimenez and Pedro Neto also remain in the treatment room.

Davis is expected to recall Goncalo Guedes in the place of Daniel Podence after the former recovered from illness.

The stats

Only six clubs have scored fewer goals than Palace, who have registered 10 times, this season.

Wolves are one of those six teams and they have the worst record in front of goal with just four in 2022-23.

The Eagles beat Wolves 2-0 home and away last season and they are unbeaten in three when playing at Selhurst Park.

Fewer than three goals have been scored in each of the last four editions of this fixture when Palace have been the hosts.

Vieira’s troops have registered the second-lowest amount of shots (96) of any club in the Premier League this season.

Wolves are without an away victory in nine games, a run which stretches back to last season — losing seven and drawing two.

Prediction

Palace have been heavily reliant on their home form to pick up points this season and they will be hoping to continue that trend on Tuesday.

They have lost twice at Selhurst Park, going down against Arsenal and Chelsea, but they can take confidence from victories over Aston Villa and Leeds.

Wolves’ away record suggests they will struggle when they head south, having failed to win in five on the road this term, including four defeats.

Under 2.5 goals has landed in three of those fixtures and Wolves have only scored once on their travels.

With that in mind, a Palace win and under 2.5 goals looks the most attractive option at 3/1.