Blackburn vs Wolves Prediction: Hwang to serve reminder in closely-fought cup clash

Three FA Cup fourth-round ties take place this Sunday and it's at Ewood Park (12:30, BBC iPlayer) where the day's action begins as EFL Championship promotion chasers Blackburn Rovers host Premier League strugglers Wolverhampton Wanderers. Rovers beat Middlesbrough 1-0 to reach this stage while the Old Gold beat another second-tier side, Bristol City, 2-1 in the third round to set up a trip to Lancashire.

Below is my Blackburn vs Wolves prediction, supported by all the latest team news and match odds.

Team News

Scott Wharton, Hayden Carter, Harry Pickering (all knee), Arnor Sigurdsson (thigh), Yuki Ohashi (leg), Harry Leonard (back) and Sondre Tronstad (muscle) are all out injured for the hosts, while Wolves Academy product Dion Sanderson is cup-tied having featured in previous club Birmingham City's 2-1 win over Blackpool in the second round.

With Sanderson unavailable, Rovers boss John Eustace has conceded that Danny Batth - another former Wolves man - and Don Hyam will "probably have to go again" in the centre of defence.

Eustace also revealed that new signings Yuri Ribeiro, Augustus Kargbo, Emmanuel Dennis and Cauley Woodrow are all in Sunday's matchday squad, although only Ribeiro and Kargbo are likely to be considered to start.

Football Odds

Wolves head coach Vitor Pereira told the media on Friday that he would name a strong team on Sunday, albeit with some changes.

Sam Johnstone could replace Jose Sa between the sticks and in front of him, defenders Santiago Bueno, Craig Dawson and Pedro Lima will be hoping for opportunities.

Joao Gomes is back from suspension after sitting out last weekend's 2-0 win over Aston Villa and looks likely to return to the Old Gold engine room at Ewood Park, where he could be joined by Tommy Doyle.

In the forward line, Hwang Hee-Chan, Carlos Forbs and Rodrigo Gomes will all be looking for starts.

Recent arrivals Nasser Djiga and Marshall Munetsi are available for selection but Pereira has suggested that the pair are unlikely to begin the game.

Yerson Mosquera, Enso Gonzalez, Leon Chiwome, Sasa Kalajdzic, Boubacar Traore (all knee) and Jorgen Strand Larsen (thigh) remain sidelined for the visitors.

Blackburn vs Wolves Odds

Blackburn are 4/1, or a 20% chance, to beat Wolves without requiring extra time or penalties, while their Premier League counterparts are 7/10 (58.8%) to do the same. The draw, which would send the tie to another 30 minutes of action, at least, is priced at 11/4.

Rovers are 9/4 to win the tie by any means and the Old Gold are 1/3.

Both teams to score in regulation time is available at 10/11 and over 2.5 total goals the same price.

Anytime Goalscorer - Hwang Hee-chan (WOL) @ 21/10

Hwang enjoyed the best goalscoring season of his Wolves career in 2023/24 as he scored 13 goals, 12 of which came in the Premier League, but he's managed just two in 20 appearances this term.

His form has been affected by injury as he sat the last four games out prior to the November international break and has made just four starts since, although both of his goals have come post-Christmas. The first was a Boxing Day strike off the bench against Manchester United, who were beaten 2-0 at Molineux, and three days later, Hwang started against Tottenham Hotspur and opened the scoring in a 2-2 draw at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The South Korean striker started Wolves' third-round tie at Bristol City on January 11 but was unable to get on the scoresheet before departing in the 75th minute.

He's started just one of his side's subsequent four matches, being hooked at half-time in their 3-0 defeat at Newcastle United on January 15, but with Strand Larsen still sidelined, Hwang should get the nod from the off on Sunday.

His chances of scoring at Ewood Park would be helped greatly by Wolves' star man, Matheus Cunha, starting alongside him, but even without the Brazilian in support, Hwang represents solid value to find the net at 21/10.

This is the perfect opportunity for the 29-year-old to stake a claim for a more regular spot in Pereira's starting XI and with Rovers' defence decimated by injuries and Sanderson being cup-tied, there should be chances for him in this game.

Total Goals - Under 2.5 @ 10/11

This has all the hallmarks of a tight affair at Ewood Park with neither side particularly free-scoring in the respective divisions.

Rovers have scored 35 times in 31 Championship games this season, averaging 1.1 goals per game, making the fifth-placed outfit the lowest-scoring team in the top half. Esutace's charges have only conceded 31 times, though, with their league matches averaging 2.1 goals overall.

Blackburn's last three games have all ended with three goals scored as they have been on the end of a couple of 2-1 defeats to Bristol City and QPR either side of a 2-1 win against Preston North End. Prior to those three contests, under 2.5 total goals had landed in six of seven matches, including their 1-0 triumph at the Riverside Stadium in the third round of the FA Cup.

Wolves, meanwhile, have scored 34 goals in 24 Premier League outings, averaging 1.4 per game, and their last two matches, a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal and a 2-0 victory over Villa, have seen two or fewer strikes.

I can see either side nicking this 1-0, or a 1-1 scoreline that takes the tie to extra time. Either way, under 2.5 goals (in 90 minutes) looks a solid bet at 10/11.

Offers

We will be Top Price on Wolves to beat Blackburn with selected bookmakers using Oddschecker for the comparison. (Available from 07:30 Sunday)

Place an In-Play single bet of £10 or more at odds of 1/2+ on any FA Cup game on Friday or Saturday and get £5 in Free Bets to use In-Play on Sunday’s games. (Credited upon Bet Settlement)

Acca Flex: Place a pre-match 5+ leg Football accumulator and get a CASH bonus up to 100% if all of your selections win or your money back as CASH if one leg lets you down

You can read all our latest Football Betting Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights content hub.