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West Ham vs Olympiacos predictions:
- Both teams to score – 8/13 Betfred
- Lucas Paqueta to register goal or assist – 5/6 bet365
- Under 21.5 fouls – 10/11 Unibet
West Ham will be looking to end a poor run of form in all competitions when they take on Olympiacos in the Europa League at the London Stadium on Thursday (8pm, TNT Sports 1)
The Hammers have won only one of their last six matches and suffered a 2-1 defeat to the Greek outfit in the reverse fixture a fortnight ago.
David Moyes’ men remain top of Group A after three matches, but their lead has been cut as a result of the loss in Piraeus.
West Ham need a response in the home fixture against Olympiacos, where UK bookmakers have installed them as favourites to secure the three points.
Olympiacos have ambitions of their own to reach the knockout phase and have given themselves a massive boost after beating the Hammers.
Diego Martinez’s side had taken only a point from the first two Group A matches, but the possibility of back-to-back wins over West Ham could lift them to the summit.
After looking at the Europa League odds, here are our predictions for the contest at the London Stadium.
Hammers may struggle to keep out visitors
West Ham have played an attractive brand of football this season and have managed to score in all but one of their games, drawing a blank in a 1-0 loss to Everton in the Premier League
Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus, Lucas Paqueta and Tomas Soucek have been on point in the final third to find the net on a regular basis, making up for the lack of production from centre-forwards Michail Antonio and Danny Ings.
West Ham will be confident of scoring against Olympiacos, especially considering the Greek outfit shipped four goals in a defeat to PAOK at the weekend.
But, the Hammers too have been vulnerable at the back this term.
Moyes’ men have only kept two clean sheets in the entire campaign, one against third tier Lincoln City in the EFL Cup and the other in a 2-0 win over Sheffield United in the Premier League.
Olympiacos were able to expose the Hammers deficiencies at the Georgios Karaiskakis Football Stadium and have scored twice in all three Europa League matches so far this term.
We’re backing them and the hosts to find the net at London Stadium at odds of 8/13 with Betfred.
Look out for Paqueta in the final third
Paqueta has been one of the standout players for the Hammers this season. The Brazil international took time to get up speed in English football following his move from Lyon last year.
But, it was clear towards the end of the campaign that he was a quality operator, and he has become essential for West Ham in influencing proceedings on the pitch.
He got a late goal in Greece to give the Hammers a chance for a miraculous comeback, although it was not enough to earn a point on the road.
The 26-year-old has registered three goals and an assist in all competitions this term, although he has found the net in his last two Europa League games.
Given his importance to the Hammers - Paqueta averages 46 passes per game this term - he will expect to see a lot of the ball at London Stadium.
He has created 18 chances for his teammates this season, although only one has been converted.
West Ham missed his presence in a 3-2 defeat to Brentford, but he should be well rested for the challenge of Olympiacos.
We’re backing him to make a decisive impact with either a goal or an assist at odds of 5/6 with bet365.
Tip: Lucas Paqueta to register goal or assist – 5/6 bet365
Will the game flow?
Although there were plenty of cards (9) in the reverse fixture, there were only 21 total fouls in the contest.
This suggests that there were a few meaty challenges in the offing in Greece, although not many in total value.
Over the course of their opening three games, both sides have not been committing in a lot of fouls, averaging nine per game each.
There are players that do love to put in a tackle such as West Ham’s Edson Alvarez, while Olympiacos’ Mady Camara and Ayoub El Kaabi are averaging 1.3 fouls per game this season.
Referee Matej Jug awarded 25 fouls in his only Europa League assignment of the campaign in a 1-1 draw between AEK Athens and Ajax.
Looking at prices on football betting sites, we’re being conservative with our last West Ham vs Olympiacos prediction by backing under 21.5 fouls in the game at odds of 10/11 with Unibet.
Tip: Under 21.5 fouls – 10/11 Unibet
West Ham vs Olympiacos betting tips:
Updated by
Last Updated: 14th March 2024, 07:22 AM
