West Ham will bring the curtain down on their first season at the Olympic Stadium against Liverpool on Sunday. It would be fitting that it ends in defeat considering it has been fractious, sometimes violent and an often chaotic campaign on their home turf.
Certainly, that is the way we will be betting. The Hammers are mighty fortunate that there are some very poor teams in the section otherwise a sequence of two wins in 12 could have left them deep in the mire. Indeed, it is almost unbelievable that this team have not had a serious relegation battle on their hands.
We don’t have anything against West Ham. Far from it. It would be much easier to reckon that the 5.25 that Bet365 and Unibet offer about a home win was worth taking. But it just isn’t.
For some time we have had a problem with West Ham’s organization. They can be dishevelled in defence and those in the know have questioned whether Slaven Bilic has the tactical nous for the role. Yes, he can gee players up. But can he get them to stand in the right place at the right time?
The Hammers have a tendency to leave holes at the back. And this weakness should play perfectly to the feet of a Liverpool team who like their pacy runners to roam free. Those gaps could be exploited with ruthless efficiency.
Liverpool are not exactly a bundle of joy at the moment themselves. Their 0-0 stalemate last time out against Southampton was a dull affair. But we understand why it happened. The Saints came to frustrate and they got men behind the ball. In other words they squeezed the space, and life, out of Liverpool.
West Ham won’t do that. At least we’re pretty sure they won’t. Bilic will have them going forward with relative abandon and that should let in the Red tide to swarm over the ramparts in east London.
So how do we bet? Liverpool are 1.73 with Ladbrokes. That’s not an area that we play in.
The correct score market makes some appeal, therefore. A 2-1 Liverpool win at 9 (Bet365) is a starter but we are more likely to go with 3-1 at 15 (Bet365).
Something more solid – and our top-rated wager – is the 2.26 with green listed bookmaker BetVictor about Liverpool giving up -1 on the Asian handicap.
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