Prediction: Wolves vs Shrewsbury

Prediction: Wolves win & both teams to score

Best Odds: 21/10

Bookmaker: bet365

An FA Cup replay is something all major clubs want to avoid – whereas smaller clubs are more than happy to open their minds and hearts to the idea. We can understand the logic behind both schools of thought, but when you really think about it, it just means more football. In our mind, that’s a good thing for everybody involved, and this match-up is particularly intriguing to us. You see, with just a 45 minute drive separating the two sides in terms of distance, Wolves and Shrewsbury are certainly more familiar with one another than most fans will realise.

Wolves

Wolverhampton Wanderers are enjoying a season that goes far beyond their wildest dreams, and we don’t think that’s an understatement. The club are in a position to potentially qualify for the Europa League, which would’ve been nothing more than a pipe dream at the start of the campaign. Now, however, it’s a case of seeing whether or not they prioritise the FA Cup as much as they should, because they certainly didn’t look themselves for much of their first tie against Shrewsbury.

Team News

Slight rotation is expected from Wolves in the wake of their win over Everton, with a few fringe players being tipped to come into the starting XI.

Shrewsbury

Lingering down towards the bottom of the third tier isn’t exactly an ideal position for Shrewsbury Town to be in. Thankfully, though, the FA Cup doesn’t care about where you are in the table. It’s the kind of competition that eliminates all of that noise, and what we’re left with is a side that is incredibly determined to pull off the upset. They’ve got some big match winners in their ranks, and they’ll need to utilise them tomorrow night.

Team News

Shrewsbury won’t want to make all too many changes from the side that drew with Wolves in the initial game, although injuries may force Sam Ricketts’ hand.

Factors to Consider

• The game will be played at Wolves’ Molineux Stadium.
• The first game ended in a 2-2 draw between the two clubs.
• Both teams have only kept one clean sheet in their last six games.
• Wolves have won four, drawn one and lost one of their last six games.
• Shrewsbury have won one, drawn three and lost two of their last six games.

Conclusion

The first game was pretty entertaining, and we think the same will be true of the second – but we can’t see a scenario in which Wolves let this slip through their fingers again. This is arguably their best chance of winning a cup competition in quite some time, and they’ve got the strength in depth to fire their way past the Shrews. The visitors are likely going to keep it close throughout most of the game, but for whatever reason, we just can’t see them having the same kind of success as they did in the initial fixture.

Prediction: Wolves win & both teams to score

Best Odds: 21/10

Bookmaker: bet365