Newcastle v West Ham Betting Markets
Newcastle United have a roughly 50% chance of landing a victory in this Premier League showdown according to the latest odds. The Magpies have enjoyed a modest 50% success rate at St James' Park this term and a failure to make it a fortress explains why the Tyneside team sit thirteenth in the overall standings.
This is a Sunday teatime encounter, with Newcastle having recently stopped the rot after a string of five consecutive defeats. A 7-2 Champions League thrashing by Barcelona was followed by four straight losses against Sunderland, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Arsenal. However, they have beaten Brighton 3-1 before a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest.
The Magpies came within a whisker of claiming three points at the City Ground and they'll fancy their chances of getting home against a relegation-threatened side. It's the final match of the season at St James' Park and the natives will hope that the team sign off with a win. It's likely that Eddie Howe will depart the club in the summer after failing to match last season in terms of achievement.
As for West Ham, they are drinking in last chance saloon. A controversial home defeat against Arsenal led to them still trailing Tottenham in the standings before Spurs' winnable clash against Leeds on Monday night. Therefore, a defeat in this game might actually confirm their relegation with a game to spare.
It's hard to make too much of a case for the Hammers. The London side have failed to win fourteen of their eighteen away clashes, with Nuno Espirito Santo seemingly fighting a losing battle when it comes to keeping the team afloat. The previous away clash was a 3-0 defeat at Brentford which doesn't bode well for this trip to the north-east.
Goals Under/Over
West Ham might need to go for broke in this Premier League showdown. That explains why the Over 2.5 Goals odds are trading at 1.50. This implies a 66% chance of three or more goals being scored. It's a line that Newcastle managed to cover on their own in the previous home match against Brighton, with a sum total of sixty-two goals being scored across eighteen games at St James' Park.
This average of nearly 3.5 across Newcastle home matches explains why the price is trading short along with the fact that the Hammers might need to take off the handbrake. Although they've been deploying a pragmatic approach on the road more recently, this might be no time when it comes to playing for a draw.
However, if the visitors game plan is to nullify, then it might be worth considering Under 2.5 Goals instead. We might see West Ham trying to edge the encounter by a single goal.
BTTS
BTTS Yes is very likely to happen according to the Premier League betting sites. Odds of 1.44 are available that Newcastle and West Ham score at least one goal. Since losing 2-0 at home to Aston Villa back in January, Eddie Howe's side have found the net in nine consecutive clashes at St James' Park. They found the net three times against an in-form Brighton last time out and perhaps a similar total could be on the cards here.
The bigger question is whether West Ham will find the net. Since winning 1-0 at Fulham, there have been three consecutive away clashes where the Hammers have drawn a blank. Nuno Espirito Santo's side are not renowned for being a high-scoring side although they did manage four shots on target at Brentford recently despite losing 3-0.
The London side have demonstrated a prowess for goals at the London Stadium in recent weeks. They scored twice against Leeds in the FA Cup before netting four against Wolves, with two more coming against Everton. The presence of Jarrod Bowen in the attacking lineup will always give them a chance of scoring a goal and there could be an urgency to score goals in this clash.
First Goalscorer
Will Osula has been a preferred option up top for Newcastle in recent weeks, with the young striker potentially representing the future on Tyneside. He has three goals to his name across the space of five games, with the 22-year-old Dane having found the net against Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Brighton.
Harvey Barnes came off the bench to find the net at the City Ground and the former Leicester man is now bidding to score for the third straight occasion. Much depends on Howe's team selection and it could be that Anthony Gordon is fielded after returning from injury. The winger can certainly help to make an impact in a game such as this one.
West Ham's hopes rest squarely with Jarrod Bowen who might not stick around should the Hammers be relegated to the Championship. The winger is often an assistor as much as a scorer, with Tomas Soucek potentially benefitting from a strong delivery from corners or free-kicks.
Callum Wilson could line up against his former club and perhaps the need of the team for three points will see Nuno Espirito Santo field a more attacking line-up. Argentine Valentin Castellanos bagged two against Wolves and the yellow card magnet could be back on the scoresheet here.