Surprise Ipswich against Wolves?

In the 2023/24 EFL Cup, the matches in the last 32 are on the agenda this week. In the thick of it are a host of Premier League clubs, including Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Wolves got a feasible draw with Ipswich Town. However, the match at the second division club will not be a walk in the park for the team of head coach Gary O’Neil.

Ipswich are in excellent form at the moment. The Blues have won their last five matches in the competition and are brimming with confidence. It is therefore not at all unreasonable to bet on Ipswich vs. Wolverhampton in the second division.

Unlike the Blues, Wolverhampton have not won any of their last three competitive matches. In two of those three encounters, O’Neil’s side walked off the pitch as losers. Only against Luton last weekend did they earn a hard-fought point.

In addition, Ipswich have lost only one of their last four H2hs in front of a home crowd. The Blues therefore fancy their chances of winning the League Cup match against Wolves. Our Ipswich vs Wolverhampton prediction aims at that as well.

Ipswich – Statistics & current form

Ipswich are second in the Championship after eight matchdays and are on course for the Premier League. The Blues are also aiming for direct promotion to the English top flight after winning promotion from the third division. The last time Ipswich were in the top flight was in 2002, and since then the traditional club has floundered in the lower leagues.

The strong start to the 2023/24 season is therefore all the more pleasing. So far, Ipswich Town have only lost to Leeds United (3:4). Since then, there have been five wins in a row, including the 2023/24 EFL Cup match against Reading. Before the upcoming cup match against Wolves, Ipswich celebrated a 4-3 win over Blackburn in the league.

It was the third home game in a row in which five or more goals have been scored at the Blues’ Portman Road. It is quite possible that the streak will continue against Wolves. Bettors looking to bet on Ipswich vs Wolverhampton to score over 2.5 goals can pick up odds of up to 1.83.

First appearance in the third round of the EFL Cup since 2015/16

Ipswich entered the third round of the League Cup for the first time since 2015 with victory over Reading FC just under a month ago. The Blues eliminated Bristol Rovers from the competition in the previous round. Ipswich Town have not reached the fourth round of the EFL Cup since 2010/11.

One of the factors behind the Blues’ success this season has been their attacking power. In the Championship, Ipswich have already scored 17 goals in eight league games – an average of more than two goals per match. This makes the Blues statistically the best offensive team in the league and they have even scored more goals than leaders Leicester.

Head coach Kieren McKenna will probably only have to do without keeper Christian Walton. There are no other personnel worries at the second division club.

Predicted Ipswich line-up:
Slicker; Clarke, Woolfenden, Baggott, Williams; Evans, Luongo; Hutchinson, Chaplin, Broadhead; Ladapo

Wolverhampton – Statistics & recent form

Wolves have just four points after six Premier League games and find themselves in the bottom third of the table. Last week, Wolverhampton narrowly missed out on their fifth league defeat of the season. Head coach Gary O’Neil’s side earned a hard-fought point at Luton Town when they were shorthanded.

It remains to be seen with which team Wolves will approach the cup match against Ipswich after the energy-sapping league duel. The EFL Cup does not enjoy a special status among the first division clubs, especially in the first rounds, which is why substitutes and reservists have been used more often in the past.

It is quite possible that Gary O’Neil will also spare some key players and go into the cup match against Ipswich with an improved B eleven. In the last six years, Wolverhampton have reached at least the fourth round of the League Cup three times. Last season Wolverhampton Wanderers even progressed to the quarter-finals of the 2022/23 EFL Cup.

Is Wolves’ form crisis worsening?

It is nevertheless risky to tip the visitors in the upcoming match between Ipswich vs Wolverhampton. O’Neil’s side have lost two of their last three competitive games and are in danger of relegation in the Premier League – at least that is the interim conclusion after a mixed start to the season.

The next difficult hurdle is against Manchester City this weekend. In view of this, O’Neil will certainly try to avoid the double burden of the cup competition. Although Blackpool FC were swept out of the stadium 5-0 in the previous round, an outright victory against Ipswich Town is more likely to be ruled out this time around.

Joseph Hodge is the only player expected to miss the match against Ipswich through injury. Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, who saw a sending off last weekend and is therefore unavailable in league competition anyway, is expected to feature against Ipswich.

Wolverhampton’s likely line-up:
Bentley; Doherty, Toti, Kilman, Bueno; Sarabia, Traore, Gomes, Doyle; Silva, Kalajdzic

Ipswich – Wolverhampton Direct comparison / H2H record

Ipswich and Wolverhampton meet for the 84th time in total. So far, the H2h between the two clubs is even. There have been 29 wins in each of the 83 meetings, while a total of 25 games have ended in a draw. Wolves and Ipswich Blues last met in the Championship in 2017/18.

Wolverhampton beat the Blues in the first and second legs. Wolverhampton won the match at Ipswich Town 1-0 to end their negative streak at Portman Road. Wolves were winless in their previous three away games at Ipswich.

Ipswich – Wolverhampton Tip

Ipswich have tasted blood in the Championship with their strong start to the season and will therefore go into the cup match against Wolves with a broad chest. Although there is a difference in class, the hosts from the Championship should not be underestimated when facing Wolverhampton.

As the second best team in the league, Ipswich are heading for the Premier League anyway. If they continue their strong performance in the Championship in the EFL Cup, the Blues can expect a surprise against a first division team. Especially as Ipswich will also benefit from the home advantage at Portman Road.

We see value in the high odds on a Blues win and dare to bet on the hosts with a stake of four units on Ipswich vs Wolverhampton. The best odds for this are currently offered by Interwetten. In the last four home H2hs, the Blues have only lost to Wolverhampton once anyway.