Leicester City vs West Ham Prediction

Covers

27 May 2023

Leicester City needs a lot to go right to avoid relegation. It all starts with beating West Ham on Sunday, and James Maddison should be integral to that effort, per our soccer betting picks.

Sunday serves us up the final day of the Premier League season, and there are three games that will get most of the focus, one of which will be Leicester City vs West Ham. This fixture is one of the three games featuring the three relegation candidates.

Leicester City sit in the relegation zone, but if they win and the other results go their way, they can seal their spot in the Premier League next season. Otherwise, the former champions will be relegated to the Championship. Don’t miss our Leicester City vs West Ham betting picks and predictions for May 28.

Leicester City vs West Ham best odds

Leicester City vs West Ham picks and predictions

In some aspects, this is a dull final day of the Premier League season, in that we already know Man City have won the title and who has finished in the Top 4. What we don’t know is who will join Southampton and get relegated from the Premier League.

Leicester City are tied with Leeds at 31 points, two points behind Everton, who own a better goal difference than any of the other teams. Two of those three clubs will get relegated to the Championship, but the question is who?

Leicester know what they need to do to stay in the Premier League, and that’s get three points at home to West Ham and hope that Everton don’t beat Bournemouth. If the Toffees draw and Leicester win, then the 2016 Premier League champions will stay up because of their goal difference, regardless of what happens (realistically) in the Leeds game. Big moments need big players, and this is an occasion that James Maddison can step up, which leads to our best bet.

Maddison is Leicester’s only current England international, a sublime talent who’ll be playing in the Premier League next season, regardless of what happens to Leicester. Many of the top clubs in England have eyes on him, and he’s shown why throughout his time at the Foxes. He’ scored 10 goals and assisted on nine others in his 29 Premier League appearances this year, of which just two came from the bench.

The midfielder has been a shining light for Leicester this season, and any potential relegation isn’t his fault. It’s been down to the defensive side of the team, both under Brendan Rodgers and Dean Smith.

Maddison has come up big down the stretch, showing that he’s a clutch player. In his past four starts for the club, he’s scored once and assisted three times. He’s a set-piece specialist and takes the club’s free kicks. Not only that, but he also steps up for penalties if Jamie Vardy isn’t on the pitch.

We’ve seen how dangerous he’s been all season long, and the club will need him to be at his best. He’s taken these opportunities all season long, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see it happen again. This West Ham team do give their opposition chances, and in front of a packed out King Power Stadium, you can expect the fans to be roaring Leicester and Maddison on.

Nothing is a certainty on the final day of the Premier League season, but Maddison offers a great opportunity to double your money if he scores or assists in the decisive game. Given his form this season, you can be confident in the midfielder coming up clutch.

My best bet: Maddison to score or assist (+100 at FanDuel)

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Leicester City vs West Ham side analysis

West Ham have one more game left after this season – the Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina. Despite that being 10 days after this game, it wouldn’t be a shock if David Moyes rested some players, or even if some of the players played within themselves, not wanting to risk being injured for that historic game.

Leicester are rightly favorites at -105 given everything on the line for them, and I wouldn’t back West Ham, who are only nine points better off than them this season. If I were forced to bet on the moneyline, I’d be quite tempted with the draw, which could be value at +310.

Both teams will be set up in a 4-2-3-1. The home side with see Soyuncu and Faes together at the heart of the backline with Castagne and Kristianesen either side. Tielemans and Ndidi will provide the platform on which Tete, Barnes, and Maddison can thrive, as they look to supply Jamie Vardy, who should start in this hugely important game.

For West Ham, this might be the last time Declan Rice plays for the club in the Premier League, with the England star likely to move on this summer. He’ll be joined by Soucek in the midfield, as well as Paqueta, Bowen, and one other. Nayef Aguerd missed the Leeds game with injury and will probably not be risked here, meaning a chance to see Ogbonna and Zouma together.

Leicester City vs West Ham Over/Under analysis

The Over is the favorite here, coming in at -140, with the Under at +130. The total goals market Is always a tough one to predict, but I’d be backing Over 2.5 goals here. There’s always a feeling that on the final day of the Premier League season we’ll see lots of goals, with some clubs playing in dead rubbers, with other games like this really needing goals for either one or both teams.

Leicester have seen Over 2.5 goals in 61.1% of their home games this season, in part down to the attacking talents such as Maddison, but also down to what has been a poor backline throughout. West Ham have been a defense-first team this year, going Under 2.5 goals in 61.1% of their games on the road this season.

That seems to have changed in recent weeks, with six of their last eight games in the Premier League having three or more goals. Given the need for Leicester to score here, I’d be happy backing Over 2.5 goals to land. At -140, it isn’t a bad price either.

Leicester City vs West Ham game info

Leicester City vs West Ham key injuries

Leicester City: James Justin FB (Out), Jannik Vestergaard CB (Out), Kelechi Iheanacho STR (Out), Danny Ward GK (Out), Ryan Bertrand LB (Questionable), Caglar Soyuncu CB (Questionable), Wilfred Ndidi CM (Questionable), Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Questionable), Jonny Evans CB (Questionable), Ricardo Pereira RB (Questionable).
West Ham: Gianluca Scamacca STR (Out), Nayef Aguerd CB (Questionable), Flynn Downes CM (Questionable)