EPL Predictions: West Ham to Top Battle of Claret Sides
After wins over Tottenham, Wolves, Manchester United, and Freiburg, West Ham closed 2023 with a 2-0 victory at Arsenal but followed that with four draws of their next five, losing 1-0 in an FA Cup replay to Championship side Bristol City.
The Hammers would proceed to suffer heavy defeats to Manchester United, Arsenal, and Nottingham Forest, conceding 11 goals and scoring 0, bouncing back with a 4-2 thrashing against Brentford.
We’re backing them to collect their 13th league win of the season as they take on Burnley – if you’re planning to bet on Premier League soccer, bet on West Ham collecting three points at home.
After an inauspicious start to 2024, the Hammers are stringing together some momentum ahead of Thursday’s trip to Germany, which will see them face Freiburg in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League Round of 16. We’re backing them to collect a third straight league win in our Premier League predictions.
West Ham sits seventh in the table, two points behind Manchester United, two above Newcastle, and eight behind Tottenham, and the odds are in their favor as they look to qualify for Europe for the fourth straight year under David Moyes.
The Hammers will be hosting a Burnley side that has conceded 60 goals, second only to Sheffield United (66), and that is all but guaranteed to drop down to the second division. Burnley sits level on 13 points with last-placed Sheffield United and are seven points behind Luton Town, both of whom have a game in hand, as well as 11 points away from Nottingham Forest and automatic safety.
Las Vegas soccer odds have Burnley pegged for relegation, and with 11 matches remaining, their immediate return to the EFL Championship seems a foregone conclusion.
Burnley Leaking Goals Under Kompany
Burnley has struggled to convince in their return to the top flight, and if you’re looking to bet on Premier League soccer, bet on Burnley suffering a fifth consecutive defeat.
Apart from Sunday’s 2-0 loss to Bournemouth, all but two of Burnley’s last eight league matches have featured 4+ goals: a 1-1 draw to Luton Town and a 3-0 loss to Crystal Palace. Aside from that stalemate vs. Luton, you’d have to go back all the way to December 9 for the last time Burnley held a team to under two goals: a 1-1 draw vs. Brighton.
If defense wins championships, then perhaps a lack of it will get you sent back down to the Championship. That appears to be the case for Burnley, who are the favorites to not only lose to West Ham but suffer relegation, with our sportsbook backing them to go down.
In contrast to Luton Town, who have given themselves a fighting chance of staying up in their first-ever Premier League campaign, Vincent Kompany’s men have never once looked capable of staving off the drop. The Clarets began their campaign with one point from four matches, bouncing back with a 2-1 win at Luton before proceeding to lose seven in a row across all competitions, including a 2-1 loss to Burnley.
Apart from their stalemates against Brighton and Fulham, Burnley has avoided defeat against just one team that is outside of the relegation zone: a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest on Sep. 18. After a summer transfer window that saw them splurge €111 million, Burnley has been unable to convince and things could get worse before they get better. If you’re planning to bet on Premier League, bet on a Burnley defeat and bet on the Over for West Ham.
Questions Of The Day
Which Premier League side is likely to score 3+ goals?
West Ham has scored 3+ goals in each of their last two matches, and they’re more than capable of continuing that pattern against the league’s second-worst defense.
Which Premier League player is likely to score this weekend?
This season, Jarrod Bowen has scored at home against Sheffield United, Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, Wolves, Manchester United, and Bristol City, whilst his most recent home match saw him score a hat-trick. We’re backing him to get on the score sheet once again for West Ham.
