Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images. Pictured: West Ham United standout Michail Antonio.
Newcastle vs. West Ham Odds
| Newcastle Odds | +225 |
| West Ham Odds | +120 |
| Draw | +260 |
| Over/Under | 2.5 (-105 / -115) |
| Day | Time | Sunday | 9 a.m. ET |
| How To Watch | NBCSN | fuboTV |
| Odds updated Saturday morning via DraftKings. | |
Clubs looking to start their Premier League seasons on the right foot go at it Sunday when Newcastle United hosts West Ham United at St James’ Park.
The Magpies are coming off a mediocre 2020-21 campaign, where they finished 12th in the table on 45 points. Stuck in the middle of the relegation battle for a portion of the season, Newcastle won three of its last four games to steer clear of the bottom three relegation spots.
On the other side, West Ham put together a magical season under manager David Moyes. The Hammers overachieved throughout in my opinion, but closed the schedule going unbeaten in four of its last five contests to seal a sixth-place finish. That also secured the club a coveted spot in Europa League.
Let’s take a look at these outfits and see what could be in store.
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Newcastle Looking for Consistency This Season
However, a win over powerful Leicester City, as well as shutout victories against relegated sides Sheffield United and Fulham late in the season, kept the ship more than afloat and locked them in the English top flight for another run.
Leading scorer Callum Wilson is back after scoring a team-best 12 goals for Newcastle. The club, which typically plays out of a 3-5-2 formation, also hopes to get some production from the likes of Allan Saint-Maximin and new signing Joe Willock, whom the club landed from Arsenal. Willock’s deal went through late, so he won’t dress for this opening contest.
Newcastle does have some goaltending issues at the moment, with its top two choices unavailable. Instead, the Magpies are turning to little-used netminder Freddie Woodman.
Solid Season Delivers Europa League Berth to West Ham
It was truly amazing what Moyes did last season with the Hammers. Leading West Ham to a Europa League berth was great, but the fact the club finished just two points behind fourth-place Chelsea and a ticket to the Champions League berth was simply stunning.
Sure, the Hammers were also the benefactors of Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal helped their situation, but they still had to win the games in front of them to keep pace with the rest of the league’s top outfits. Michail Antonio and Tomáš Souček guided the offensive attack with 10 goals apiece, and they’ll need to be on top of their game if West Ham is to improve its standing.
The Hammers put together some respectable numbers in their advanced metrics, finishing last season with 53.9 expected goals and 48.3 xGA that resulted in a +5.6 xDiff and 0.15 xGDiff per 90 minutes.
So, if they can get some sort of improvement from those statistics, this could be a club that makes a run toward the league’s top four in the table.
Betting Analysis & Pick
This could be a pretty tight affair, but it all depends on which Newcastle side shows up. Will it be the one that beat Leicester City and sweet Everton? Or will it be the one that lost to relegated Sheffield United during a six-match losing streak at the start of the year?
For me, I’m leaning toward the latter. Newcastle could be in relegation danger this season, so I’d keep an eye on their results in the early part of the campaign and see where they’re trending. Willock could be the game-changer for the club, but we’ll have to wait at least one more week until his debut.
That said, I’m backing West Ham on the Asian Handicap line of -0.25 at -110 odds via DraftKings as my top selection. I just think the Hammers are in better shape to start the season, especially with the Magpies’ goaltending situation giving the visitors a definite advantage.
If you’re looking for a decent player prop, take a swing on Antonio to bag a goal to open his season’s account. You’re getting fair odds on a player who could potentially contend for the league’s Golden Boot this season.
Pick: West Ham -0.25 (-110) | Michail Antonio To Score Anytime — Yes (+180)
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