Premier League: Luton Town vs. West Ham odds, picks & prediction
There was plenty of skepticism surrounding West Ham United before the new Premier League season. Despite winning the Europa Conference League, the Hammers were stuck in a malaise domestically for the lion’s share of the campaign. The Hammers would eventually sort themselves out, but a 14th-place finish was a bitter disappointment for a team that was expected to be a thorn in the side for the big clubs.
A down season followed by a sluggish transfer window had plenty of folks wondering if the Hammers would be in store for another slow start in 2023-24. The opposite has happened as West Ham has navigated a difficult schedule with two wins (at Brighton and home to Chelsea) and a draw (at Bournemouth).
West Ham is a -125 road favorite against Luton Town on Friday.
Luton Town vs. West Ham United Pick: Analysis
Friday’s lone Premier League match should be quite the spectacle. It is the first Premier League match being played at tidy little Kenilworth Road since 1996. The Hatters, who were in the fifth division of English Football a decade ago, had to postponed their first scheduled match at home because the stadium needed to be updated to meet the standards of the most famous league in the world.
The atmosphere on Friday should be electric, but the Hatters will be up against it judging by their standard in their first two Premier League matches. The Hatters were not done any favors by the schedule-makers, they had to go on the road to Brighton and Chelsea, but they were not all that competitive in either contest. Brighton and Chelsea combined for seven goals on 7.78 expected goals against the Hatters.
West Ham could provide another stern test for the struggling Luton defense as the Hammers have opened things up a bit in the early going.
But as impressive as West Ham’s attack has been to start the season, they’ve played three teams that prefer to keep the ball on the carpet and be on the front foot. Luton Town, like West Ham, will sit much deeper than Brighton, Chelsea or Bournemouth did in order to slow the match down as much as possible and drag the Hammers into the deep end of the pool.
Both of these teams have seen plenty of goals in their first two matches, but this contest should have a much different script. I don’t hate a look at a bet on a 0-0 draw, but will keep it a little safer with a play on the Under 2.5.
Luton Town vs. West Ham United Pick
Under 2.5 (-110, DraftKings)
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