And with strikers Carl Asaba and Barry Hayles still out injured, they had to rely on teenager Marvin Williams and Ben May to lead the attack.
But Millwall, fielding an unchanged side from the one that lost to Everton in the FA Cup on Wednesday night, were first to carve out a chance against play-off chasing Wolves.
Marvin Elliott was put through by Alan Dunne to fire in a shot which was blocked by Stefan Postma and Rob Edwards hacked the rebound clear.
Both sides were desperate for a win to aid their respective aims - Millwall to pull clear from the bottom of the table and Wolves to climb into the top six.
But it was the home side that looked up for the fight as the hard-working Williams and Jody Morris had early chances.
Morris was unlucky to be on the receiving end of a strange decision by referee Clive Penton after he was booked for diving following a trip in the opposition penalty box.
Morris looked to have caught a divot and tumbled over and as he got back up, waved to indicate it was no penalty. Penton, however, took it to mean Morris was pleading not to be booked and brandished a yellow card.
As Morris continued to argue his case with Penton, Millwall missed another opportunity as David Livermore's free-kick was headed straight at Postma by Paul Robinson.
Wolves came to life after the break and Paul Ince came close in the 54th minute with a header which was blocked by Millwall keeper Andy Marshall who struggled to hang on to the ball and needed Robinson to clear the danger.
Two minutes later Mark Davies wasted a golden chance for Glenn Hoddle's side as he darted through the home defence only to scuff the ball wide of the near post from eight yards out.
Then it was Millwall's chance to be denied as Livermore belted a free-kick goalward from just outside the penalty area for Postma to palm over the bar.
Subsitute Ki Hyeon Seol should have done better with his 77th minute effort after fellow sub Lee Naylor had cued him up in the box, but the Korean international mis-hit the ball.