Michael Regan/Getty Images. Pictured: West Ham United star Michail Antonio, center, is mobbed by his teammates.
West Ham vs. Crystal Palace Odds
| West Ham Odds | -185 |
| Crystal Palace Odds | +525 |
| Draw | +320 |
| Over/Under | 2.5 (-120 / -105) |
| Day | Time | Saturday | 10 a.m. ET |
| How To Watch | Peacock Premium |
| Odds updated Friday morning via DraftKings. | |
Well, well, well. Look who’s atop the Premier League table.
No, it’s not defending champion Manchester City. It isn’t perennial title contender and legendary powerhouse Manchester United, either.
Instead, West Ham United is setting the tone early on in the English top flight. The East London outfit is off to a perfect 2-0 start following Monday’s 4-1 home rout of Leicester City. The Hammers do have company on six points, though, as they’re joined by Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and surprising Brighton & Hove Albion.
Now, manager David Moyes and his club will welcome struggling Crystal Palace to London Stadium for Saturday’s derby. The Eagles have just one point to show for their efforts thus far, with last week’s scoreless draw against promoted side Brentford helping them open their account.
Let’s take a look at this matchup and see what could be in store.
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West Ham Savoring Brilliant Start to Campaign
The Hammers and their fans couldn’t have asked for more of a dream start, picking up a 4-2 road victory against Newcastle United on debut that preceded their resounding triumph against the Foxes.
West Ham talisman Michail Antonio has gotten off to a brilliant beginning, recording three goals to tie him with Manchester United standout Bruno Fernandes in the very, very early Golden Boot race. Antonio’s late second-half brace during a four-minute span of the Leicester City thrashing highlighted an offense wound up with a 2.5-0.8 advantage on expected goals.
It was also the second consecutive game where the Hammers finished above the 2.0 xG mark. In the win over Newcastle, West Ham held a 2.2-1.4 xG edge. I think what was most impressive in that triumph was the fact Moyes’ side came from behind twice to level things, with the latter equalizer starting a run of three unanswered goals to close out the victory.
The question now is if the Hammers can keep this momentum going against a lesser side like Crystal Palace. Obviously, not having to travel for this fixture is a bonus due to what I’d consider short rest having just played just five days ago. That alone is a major plus entering this contest.
Crystal Palace Looking for Positive Performance
Things haven’t gone that well for the Eagles, who have French legend and former Arsenal great Patrick Vieira at the helm following Roy Hodgson’s departure after four years in charge of the club.
However, opening the campaign against reigning Champions League winner Chelsea at Stamford Bridge wouldn’t be the best situation for anyone. The Blues dominated proceedings and it wasn’t close. Marcos Alonso and Christian Pulisic staked Chelsea to a 2-0 lead at the break, with Trevoh Chalobah added a third goal to close out the win.
That effort followed with the scoreless stalemate against Brentford. Neither side got much going, with the Bees holding a 0.9-0.6 xG edge It marked the second consecutive outing where Crystal Palace was stagnant on its attack after losing the xG battle against Chelsea by a 0.9-0.3 margin.
If the Eagles are going to have an effectiveness going forward in their 4-3-3 tactical approach, they’re going to have to get something from Christian Benteke and Wilfried Zaha. The two have a combined three total shots, none of which were on target, in the first two matches.
Betting Analysis & Pick
From current form and statistical standpoints, this is an utter mismatch. It’s as simple as that. However, as we all know, matches aren’t played on paper and this meeting could be tricky for West Ham.
Despite being heavy -185 moneyline favorites, the Hammers have actually had issues with the Eagles of late. They’ve only won one of their last five meetings with the visitors, plus they’re winless against them at home dating back to the end of the 2018 schedule.
Now, don’t get me wrong. This could be another blowout like the one that occurred a few days ago at London Stadium. I watched that match against Leicester City from start to finish and the hosts were simply on another level.
That all said, I simply can’t go against the Hammers. The hosts are clicking on all cylinders and I don’t see the Eagles suddenly finding their offense in this spot. For that reason, I’m turning to the Asian Handicap and backing West Ham at -0.75 on the spread line at -140 odds via DraftKings as my top selection.
If you’re looking for prop play, take a swing on Both Teams To Score at fair odds of -110 as well. Each club has scored at least one goal in their last six confrontations, plus Crystal Palace has scored at least two goals in three of the last four showdowns.
Pick: West Ham -0.75 (-140)
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