Burnley v West Ham Betting Markets
Burnley and West Ham square off on Sunday 16 August, with the two Clarets meeting at Turf Moor in this late afternoon kick-off. The Lancashire side are trading as the outsiders, with the bookies making them a 2.80 chance to land three points. This suggests that Nicky Hayen's team only have a 35% chance of landing a victory although they were really strong when they were last in the second flight.
Hayen is a Belgian manager who has held roles at Club Brugge and Genk, with the club's owners deciding to offer him a three-year deal although he has little experience of managing in England. Florentino has been the marquee signing who has arrived from Benfica, with Lluc Castell having also made the switch from Espanyol.
You would always expect a number of departures considering the relegation, with Maxime Esteve, Jaidon Anthony and Loum Tchaouna having all made big money moves. However, the expectation is that West Ham are the likelier winners and the London side are clearly intent on winning the Championship and getting back to the top flight.
The Hammers have retained the services of Jarrod Bowen which is a big plus, while there's also plenty of quality still in the ranks. There is sure to be some reinvestment before the transfer window closes considering that the London outfit have cashed in on Crysencio Summerville and Mateus Fernandes.
It's always somewhat unpredictable when it's the first game of the campaign and perhaps a draw will be the outcome as both teams look to make a solid start. A point wouldn't be a bad outcome to kick things off, with Burnley having previously made Turf Moor a fortress in the Championship.
Goals Under/Over
Over 2.5 Goals is trading as the slight favourite, with both teams likely to favour an attacking approach in search of a victory. Jarrod Bowen remains at West Ham and will clearly find the net on a regular basis in the Championship. However, his team showed a defensive steeliness when playing out a recent goalless draw against Rangers in a pre-season friendly.
Goalkeeper Mads Hermansen should prove to be a safe pair of hands, with Konstantinos Mavrapanos and Max Kilman a sturdy central defensive partnership which should help to restrict the number of chances. James Ward-Prowse looks set to be a regular fixture in the team and can operate as a quality box to box midfielder at this level.
Burnley's previous success in the Championship was founded on keeping things tight and that was in part to having James Trafford between the sticks. They may be occupied with shutting out a lively visiting team and Under 2.5 Goals could therefore be the value.
BTTS
The bookies think that both teams are likely to score in this showdown. Burnley scored sixty-nine goals in the Championship two seasons ago, with thirty-five of these coming at home. You would imagine that Nicky Hayen's side will find the net in the majority of their matches at Turf Moor, with the new manager favouring a more attacking approach than Scott Parker.
Zeki Amdouni and Zian Flemming could be among the goals, with Armando Broja also capable of finding the net for a home team who will be looking to get off to a fast start. However, it may come as a surprise if they can keep a clean sheet against the Hammers. Some thought that Jarrod Bowen was unlucky not to make the England squad and the captain is going to be lively from wide positions.
Taty Castellanos may also remain with the London side after the transfer window to score goals. It was noticeable that West Ham averaged a goal per away game on the road in the Premier League last term, with twenty-seven managed at the London Stadium. However, Nuno is often a pragmatic manager who could batten down the hatches in search of the right result.
First Goalscorer
Jarrod Bowen is the favourite to be top scorer in the Championship next season. The former Hull City striker scored nine in the Premier League last term, with that being preceded by thirteen and sixteen in the previous two campaigns. He looks set to remain with the Hammers and will be on spot kick duties, meaning that twenty goals or more could be on the cards.
Taty Castellanos notched six goals in eighteen appearances last term and the Argentine has actually represented his country. He previously had a spell with Lazio after successful times with New York City and Girona. Perhaps he and Bowen can start off on the right footing and get themselves off the mark here.
Aaron Ramsey and Andreas Hountondji were the scorers for Burnley in a recent 2-2 draw against RCD Espanyol, with Ziann Flemming the player that could be the most likely to get on the scoresheet in this clash. It may be that he's partnered with Zeki Amdouni in the search of goals, with both players at a similar price to top score in the Championship.