West Ham v Arsenal Betting Markets
As you might expect, Arsenal are warm favourites to land a victory at the London Stadium. Odds of 1.55 mean that the Gunners have an implied probability of 65% that they come through with three points which will mean they're very likely to win the title. Mikel Arteta's side have got back into the winning groove recently, scoring home wins against Fulham and Newcastle.
However, they come into the game after a tough showdown in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid. There was also a 2-1 defeat at the Etihad Stadium after previously being turned over at home to Bournemouth. Perhaps they'll be vulnerable against a West Ham side who are fighting for their lives after dropping back into the bottom three.
Right now, the Hammers are a point behind Tottenham with an inferior goal difference and a defeat could see them with a mountain to climb in their final three games. Nuno Espirito Santo will have had plenty of prep time to get his team in gear and they will draw comfort from some recent successes at the London Stadium.
West Ham claimed a dramatic 2-1 win against Everton recently, with this coming after a 4-0 thrashing of Wolves and a goalless draw at Crystal Palace. There hasn't been a home defeat since early January when losing 2-1 against Nottingham Forest and a draw could certainly be a viable outcome. It would give the Hammers a realistic chance of still surviving.
Arsenal have only won nine of their seventeen away games this season in the Premier League. They will hope to put faith in having a strong defence although we can expect a competitive encounter between two sides with so much on the line. We won't be considering the match odds about the Gunners as a value proposition.
Goals Under/Over
Over 2.5 Goals is trading at odds of 1.66. That suggests a 60% chance of happening. We much prefer the 2.20 that there are Under 2.5 Goals instead. The approach from both sides might well end up being cagey. West Ham know that this is a contest that they can ill-afford to lose. They'll also be up against opposition who have boasted the strongest defence in the Premier League this term.
Therefore, we can see the game being tighter than the prices imply. Arteta's side know how to keep things tight and there have been plenty of Under 2.5 Goals outcomes in their recent matches. In Europe, they have played out low-scoring encounters involving Sporting and Atletico Madrid and the champions-elect might use a similar approach.
West Ham might struggle to find a breakthrough against a team who will have several days to prepare after meeting Atletico on Tuesday. Therefore, Under 2.5 Goals has to be the consideration and still covers a slender win for either side.
BTTS
The BTTS Yes outcome is slightly shorter than BTTS No when it comes to West Ham v Arsenal. There aren't many games where the Gunners fail to find the net and they produced a convincing performance to overcome Fulham 3-0. During that game, the North London side had nine shots on target and that level will surely see them get more goals at the London Stadium.
This is an altogether different assignment although Arteta's men were able to find the net away to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League recently. Even away to Manchester City, they scored when losing 2-1 although perhaps they'll find it difficult to break down a team who won't be leaving many spaces for the opposition.
As for West Ham, it's always tricky wagering against Arsenal conceding a goal. The Hammers need is great and they have found the net in their past five home matches. Indeed, they were able to put four past Wolves before a further two against Everton recently. Although they draw blanks regularly on the road, they have made the London Stadium a happy hunting ground. Perhaps BTTS Yes is therefore worth including in Bet Builders.
First Goalscorer
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Bukayo Saka has returned from injury at just the right time for Arsenal and England. The forward was on target against Fulham and could be the man to net at the London Stadium. It's not certain whether it will be him or Viktor Gyokeres on penalty duties should the Hammers be awarded a spot kick.
The Swede has scored a solid haul of twenty-five goals for the Gunners this term and he bagged a brace against the Cottagers. The forward now has nine goals in his past ten games for club and country, with many punters looking to include him as an anytime scorer when it comes to Bet Builders.
As for West Ham, perhaps Jarrod Bowen is the answer in front of goal and we know that the captain will be on spot kicks. Tomas Soucek could cause a few problems from set pieces, with the Czech proving to be reliable in these areas. There's also Konstantinos Mavropanos who can make problems from corners as he demonstrated with a recent brace against Wolves, with the player also netting against Manchester City.