- Full Time
- R. Jiménez (P)90 + 3'
- 79'Yuri Ribeiro on for R. Morishita
- 79'J. Garrett on for A. Guðjohnsen
- T. Chirewa on for D. Møller Wolfe79'
- Pedro Lima on for André79'
- 68'Y. Ohashi on for T. Cantwell
- 68'J. Fevrier on for O. Afolayan
- J. Tchatchoua on for K. Trippier67'
- T. Doyle on for Rodrigo Gomes67'
- R. Jiménez on for Mateus Mané60'
- 55'Sam Morsy on for A. Forshaw
- Mateus Mané52'
- 48'A. Guðjohnsen
- Half Time
- 45'A. Forshaw
- 35'T. Cantwell
- 34'H. Pickering
- 27'S. McLoughlin
- M. Munetsi18'
- Kick Off
-
1
Raúl Jiménez1 - 2
Andri Gudjohnsen1 - 3Marshall Munetsi1
- 1Marshall Munetsi5
- 2Oladapo Afolayan3
- 3Raúl Jiménez3
- 1Kristi Montgomery3
- 2André3
- 3Kieran Trippier2
- 1Oladapo Afolayan1
- 2Ryoya Morishita1
- 3Fer López1
- 1Kieran Trippier3
- 2Ryan Alebiosu2
- 3Yerson Mosquera2
- 1Toti Gomes88
- 2Yerson Mosquera79
- 3Sean McLoughlin61
- 1Ryan Alebiosu2
- 2Marshall Munetsi2
- 3Mateus Mané2
- 1Yerson Mosquera3
- 2Marshall Munetsi2
- 3Kristi Montgomery2
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Blackburn Rovers gets the Championship season under way at Molineux on Friday night, with the relegated hosts a short price to begin their promotion push with a win. Kick-off is set for 8:00pm and you can find our predictions and betting tips below.
Wolves drop into the second tier after a chastening Premier League campaign, but they keep a squad that should have far too much for most sides at this level. Blackburn, meanwhile, arrive on the back of a 20th-place finish and will be out to frustrate. Anthony Eadson has picked out his two best bets below, alongside our score prediction and the key head-to-head numbers.
Premium Tips
Anthony Eadson likes the hosts to make a winning start, and there is enough Premier League quality in this Wolves attack to back a comfortable evening at Molineux.
| Premium Tip | Odds | Why we’re backing it |
|---|---|---|
| Wolves -1 match handicap | 6/4 (with bet365) | Relegated they may be, but Wolves retain a strong squad that should be too strong for this Blackburn side that finished 20th and scored only 42 league goals last season. Rovers have failed to invest again this summer and with a significant gap in quality between the pair, we are happy to put up -1 Wolves handicap, meaning this bet will be a winner should the hosts win by two or more goals. |
| Yerson Mosquera to be carded | 3/1 (with Sky Bet) | Only two players in the entire Premier League were shown more yellow cards than Yerson Mosquera last season. In total, the Wolves man picked up a whopping 11 cautions in just 27 appearances. A loose cannon at times, Mosquera makes appeal to be carded in the season opener at around 3/1. |
18+ only. Please gamble responsibly. GambleAware — gambleaware.org · Odds correct at time of publishing.
How Wolves go into the game
Wolves are back in the Championship after relegation from the Premier League, where a grim campaign brought just three wins and 68 goals conceded on the way to 20th. Painful as that was, the group that came down still carries genuine top-flight quality, and the bookmakers make them among the favourites to go straight back up.
Raul Jimenez, Adam Armstrong and Hwang Hee-Chan give the hosts a cutting edge few can match at this level, while Kieran Trippier’s experience adds steel to the spine. The one doubt is how quickly a bruised squad adjusts to the weekly grind of the second tier, but a full Molineux for the opener should carry them through a favourable first assignment.
How Blackburn Rovers go into the game
Blackburn endured a hard 2025-26, finishing 20th with 13 wins from 46 and a goal difference of minus 14. Survival was secured but rarely in comfort, and the summer has been about adding punch to a side that managed only 42 league goals.
Yuki Ohashi led the way in front of goal with 10, and Andri Gudjohnsen and Todd Cantwell offer craft in support. A trip to a wounded but well-stocked Wolves is as tough an opener as the fixture computer could have handed them, and keeping the game tight early looks the sensible plan.
Wolves vs Blackburn Rovers head-to-head
| Date | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09/02/25 | Blackburn Rovers | 0-2 | Wolves |
| 22/04/17 | Wolves | 0-0 | Blackburn Rovers |
| 29/10/16 | Blackburn Rovers | 1-1 | Wolves |
These sides have crossed paths just three times in the past decade, with Wolves’ spell in the Premier League keeping them apart. Wolves took the most recent meeting, a 2-0 FA Cup win at Ewood Park in early 2025, while the two league meetings back in 2016-17 both finished level.
Predictions & betting tips
| Our Prediction | Odds & Bookmaker | Confidence | Why We’re Backing It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wolves to win | 1/2 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Far too much quality for the visitors on home turf. |
| Under 3.5 goals | 4/11 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | A controlled home win rather than a shootout is the likeliest script. |
| Raul Jimenez anytime scorer | 21/20 | ⭐⭐⭐ | Spearheads the attack against a leaky Blackburn back line. |
| Adam Armstrong anytime scorer | 6/5 | ⭐⭐⭐ | Extra threat who knows exactly what this division demands. |
| Wolves to win 2-0 | 6/1 | ⭐⭐ | Our headline scoreline for a comfortable opening-night win. |
Wolves vs Blackburn Rovers score prediction
Wolves have questions to answer at the back after a bruising top-flight year, but Blackburn rarely carry enough going forward to punish them. We expect the hosts to control the game and take the points without over-exerting themselves. Score prediction: Wolves 2-0 Blackburn Rovers.
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