Football betting tips: Super Sunday
1pt Konstantinos Mavropanos 1+ shots on target at 11/4 (Ladbrokes, Coral)
0.5pt Mavropanos to score anytime at 10/1 (General)
0.5pt Mavropanos to score first at 33/1 (General)
What a scenario West Ham walk into at St James' Park on Sunday.
Lose and they will give Tottenham, who have a vastly superior goal difference, the chance to relegate them with a game to spare by drawing at Chelsea on Tuesday.
Draw and Spurs can still send them down in midweek, but only with victory.
Win and they climb out of the Premier League relegation zone, moving a point ahead - and very much putting the pressure on - their London rivals.
The Hammers then end the campaign at home to Leeds, with Tottenham hosting Everton.
Should West Ham end up playing in the Sky Bet Championship for the first time in 15 years, fine margins in recent weeks will have played a part.
Nuno Espirito Santo's side have vastly improved since doing smart business in January, taking 25 points across an impressive 15-match run (W6 D4 L5).
Back-to-back defeats is what has left them up against it; there are caveats on those losses.
The Hammers were ultimately thrashed 3-0 at Brentford but unluckily fell behind to a KONSTANTINOS MAVROPANOS own goal before the Greek defender was (correctly) denied a swift equaliser by VAR. Last weekend Nuno's men made life incredibly difficult for Arsenal only to lose 1-0 late on before (again, correctly) suffering further VAR pain when they appeared to have equalised.
VAR drama aside, over a four-month period only their meek showing at Brentford has fallen below their new post-January standards. Much of that improvement has been based on greater defensive resilience, with nine of the Iron's last 12 league games involving under 2.5 goals.
Against a Newcastle team with nothing to play for, whose manager has openly said they are looking to the future in explaining why Anthony Gordon has been left on the bench in successive games, the Irons will fancy their chances.
Strangely enough, though, Eddie Howe has actually got more from his team since writing this season off. They impressively beat Brighton 3-1 a fortnight ago and were only denied victory at Nottingham Forest last weekend by a late equaliser.
There is too much uncertainty and not enough value for it to be worth delving into the 1x2 or goals lines. Instead, there is another improved aspect of West Ham's performances that is worth backing.
The pandemonium at London Stadium a week ago as Arsenal scrambled the ball clear, seemingly in vain, was no fluke. The Hammers have become much more effective at set-pieces, specifically through giant centre-back MAVROPANOS.
He has scored three times in his last seven games, had the aforementioned effort ruled out at Brentford and was denied by a brilliant point-blank save from Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson. Across that spell he has registered seven SHOTS - five ON TARGET.
At prices of 11/4 for 1+ SHOTS ON TARGET, 10/1 TO SCORE ANYTIME and 33/1 TO SCORE FIRST he is backed in all three markets to appropriate stakes.
Score prediction: Newcastle 1-1 West Ham
Odds correct at 14:00 BST (15/5/26)
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