Premier League best bets: Wolves play spoiler and Brighton play angry

It's matchday 12 in the Premier League…and remember what we said last week about gaps forming across the table? Yeah, never mind. Last week’s topsy-turvy action saw traditional powerhouses beaten and underappreciated teams seizing their moments in the spotlight. Arsenal lost! Luton didn’t! It’s all very unsteady in the Premier League again, just a few short weeks after we established some sense of order.

This weekend has thrown up some interesting fixtures for us to consider, from a wild clash of super-spenders in Chelsea vs. Man City to a fascinating meeting of underdogs in Crystal Palace vs. Everton. 

Where are the best bets amid all that intrigue? We think you’ll find them here. 

Wolves vs. Tottenham Hotspur. In a league known for its consistency and the gap between its "haves" and "have-nots," Wolves are a lovable aberration. This season, Gary O’Neil’s men have managed to defeat defending champions Manchester City with convincing ease and lose to last-placed Sheffield United in a dire away fixture. Wolves are inscrutable and often hilarious, and there’s a reason why you don’t see them in this space too often: Most weeks, they're simply too difficult to lock down.

This weekend, however, gives us an eyebrow-raising matchup for Wolves. They take on a hopping mad Tottenham Hotspur team that just lost 4-1 to Chelsea in the strangest game of the Premier League season thus far. With both Destiny Udogie and Cristian Romero suspended thanks to the red cards they picked up against the Blues, Spurs enter this match chastened, weakened and clearly annoyed.

Wolves already pulled off one shocking result against a top team this season when they beat Manchester City. We think they have a real chance of pulling off another one here. At +260, our money’s on a Wolves – Spurs draw — and with Wolves’ woeful defending and Spurs’ defensive suspensions, braver bettors might want to consider a scored draw at +333.

Brighton vs. Sheffield United. Speaking of teams that are hopping mad! Brighton, last season’s breakout star and this season’s expected top four challenger, have struggled mightily in the league in recent weeks. They drew with both Everton and Fulham after losing to Man City, but that’s not all. Brighton hasn’t actually won a game in the Premier League since it trounced Bournemouth back in September. Those stats aren’t exactly stellar for a team expected to rival the likes of City and Arsenal.

However, this weekend sees Brighton taking on Sheffield United at home, and all signs point to this game breaking Brighton’s miserable winless streak. Sheffield play a risky, high-line style and often run out of energy at the end of matches; Brighton are excellent at exploiting tactics like that and rarely tire. We think a Brighton win with no Sheffield goals is a steal at +120, but we also feel like it might be a bit of a blowout. Bettors who agree might want to punt for a three-goal victory at, fittingly, +333.

West Ham vs. Nottingham Forest. While there are few certainties in this world and even fewer in global soccer, on Sunday morning we’re pretty sure the sky will be blue, the world will be turning and West Ham will be picking up yellow cards like they was born to do it. The Hammers have been almost comically aggressive in their last few league games, racking up four (utterly deserved) yellow cards in each. Nottingham Forest showed Aston Villa last weekend just how frustrating they can be to play against; when West Ham gets frustrated, things get grimy. We think betting on them to get over 2 cards is smart at +150.