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West Ham vs Brighton predictions
- Both teams to score & over 2.5 goals – 5/6 with bet365
- James Ward-Prowse over 0.5 assists – 4/1 with BoyleSports
- Pervis Estupinan over 0.5 shots on target – 47/20 with Unibet
West Ham and Brighton enjoyed strong finishes to 2023 and could light up the London Stadium with some belated New Year fireworks on Tuesday (7.30pm, Sky Sports Main Event).
The Hammers won both their festive fixtures, recording successive 2-0 victories over Arsenal and Manchester United to make it three league wins on the spin for David Moyes’ team, who are up to sixth in the table.
West Ham are three points ahead of Brighton after the Seagulls impressively dispatched Tottenham 4-2 at home last Thursday night following a hard-fought draw in the derby with Crystal Palace before that.
Brighton continue to be plagued by injury issues though, while West Ham could also be missing several key players going into a fixture they’ve rarely enjoyed.
Football betting sites are struggling to split the pair in the betting for this game with the Hammers marginal favourites to stay on the coat tails of Tottenham in fifth.
But with the Londoners winning one of the last 13 meetings with Brighton and the Seagulls so short of options, we’ve decided to shun the match market and look at alternative options amongst the Premier League odds for our West Ham vs Brighton predictions.
Hammers and Seagulls hope to start 2024 with a bang
West Ham produced an excellent rearguard action to see off Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, defending stoutly and taking their opportunities when they came.
It’s now six wins from the last eight league games for West Ham, capping off what Moyes described as his best year in management following their Europa Conference League success last season.
Much of their recent success has been based on a solid defensive structure. Summer signing Edson Alvarez continues to impress in the middle of the park, shielding a back four that’s now kept four clean sheets in the last five games in all competitions.
That latest shut out at Arsenal did have a hint of good fortune about it though with the wasteful Gunners registering 30 attempts on goal, 77 touches in the Hammers’ penalty area and 2.87 expected goals.
That defence will be tested by a Brighton side that could have had more than the four goals they managed against Tottenham, particularly given it will be an understrength side Moyes is likely to send out.
Lucas Paqueta limped off at Arsenal and is a doubt while Kurt Zouma is injured. Mohammed Kudus is also out after Ghana blocked him from playing ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations, while it’s unclear whether Nayef Aguerd, Said Benrahma or Maxwel Cornet will be made available by their respective countries.
Losing Paqueta and Kudus are sizeable blows but there’s still enough attacking talent left to think the Hammers can open up a Brighton team without a Premier League clean sheet this season.
Having raced into a 4-0 lead against Spurs at home last time out, the visitors managed to set up a nervy finale by scoring twice late on as the Seagulls defence wobbled.
To make matters worse, Lewis Dunk is suspended for this game, while Igor Julio has joined a massive list of injury absentees, further weakening Brighton’s backline.
That doesn’t bode well for a team with a middling away record of three wins from nine games, but their fantastic attacking play against Tottenham means they can’t totally be written off at the London Stadium.
Brighton have only failed to score once all season and have recently welcomed back Facundo Buonanotte and Danny Welbeck to further boost their attacking options.
With both sides seeing over 2.5 goals land in 13 of their 19 league matches this season, goals are the way to go when looking at this game on betting apps.
Both teams to score, which has landed in all but one of Brighton’s top-flight assignments, and over 2.5 goals pays 5/6 with bet365 and is our first Premier League prediction for the night.
West Ham vs Brighton Tip 1: Both teams to score & over 2.5 goals – 5/6 with bet365
JWP to stand and deliver
Only Arsenal (nine) have scored more headed goals than West Ham in the Premier League this season with the Hammers regularly profiting from the excellent set-piece deliveries of James Ward-Prowse.
The former Southampton man chalked up his 10th assist of the season against Arsenal, with eight of his assists coming from dead ball situations.
Ward-Prowse has been key to Tomas Soucek scoring a remarkable eight goals in all competitions while three centre-backs have also notched for West Ham, thanks to one of the club’s big-money signings last summer.
Ward-Prowse’s excellent deliveries spells trouble for a Brighton team that had huge issues defending set pieces last season.
They’ve improved in that regard this season and rank fifth in Opta’s expected goals conceded from set pieces model. However, without the aerial presence of Dunk, Igor and Adam Webster, those old vulnerabilities could remerge.
Ward-Prowse could therefore to add to the three assists he’s previously chalked up in his career against Brighton at 4/1 with BoyleSports.
West Ham vs Brighton Tip 2: James Ward-Prowse over 0.5 assists – 4/1 with BoyleSports
Estupinan back in the action
Brighton received a massive boost last Thursday when Pervis Estpunian made his first Premier League appearance since September, coming on for the second half against Tottenham.
It didn’t take the Ecuadorian long to make his mark, hammering in the Seagulls’ third from range to register his second goal of the season, and he’s now expected to start on Tuesday.
Before his injury, the 25-year-old was enjoying a fantastic season, bursting forward at every opportunity and has registered four goals involvements in seven top-flight games.
He’s only once failed to have a shot in a league game this season – the 3-1 loss to West Ham in the reverse fixture – and should make his presence known in the final third.
Of the 12 shots he’s had for club and country this season, five have hit their mark, including in each of his last two Premier League games.
In a match that could contain a few goals, he’s 47/20 on betting sites to hit his mark at the London Stadium.
West Ham vs Brighton Tip 3: Pervis Estupinan over 0.5 shots on target – 47/20 with Unibet
West Ham vs Brighton betting tips
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Last Updated: 14th March 2024, 07:22 AM
