London rivals West Ham and Tottenham meet at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday and Michael Beardmore has previewed the match, picking out two best bets.
Football betting tips: Premier League
1pt Son Heung-min to have 1+ shots on target in each half at 9/2 (Sky Bet)
1pt Jarrod Bowen to have 2+ left-footed shots on target at 13/2 (Sky Bet)
When you take in account some of the negativity around Tottenham this season and contrast that with the positivity generally surrounding West Ham, it’s perhaps a surprise to note that Spurs are a point better off than their London rivals.
While West Ham’s season has, like last term, been pleasing thus far – seventh in the Premier League, a win at Old Trafford in the Carabao Cup and three straight Europa League wins – if there has been a negative, it’s been their home league results.
After thrashing 10-man Leicester 4-1 in their opener at the Olympic Stadium, the Hammers have been held by Crystal Palace before losing 2-1 to both Manchester United and Brentford. Nothing to panic about but frustrating nonetheless.
Tottenham, meanwhile, come in to this one with back-to-back Premier League wins under their belts against Aston Villa and Newcastle – and while this will be a step up in terms of quality, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side do seem to have recovered some of their mojo after three league defeats on the spin.
Kick-off time: 14:00 BST, Sunday
TV channel: Sky Sports Main Event
West Ham 5/4 | Draw 5/2 | Tottenham 2/1
The bookies are struggling to split the two too much, although the Hammers are favourites – rightly so, but it’s a match where any of the three outcomes could happen and you would be surprised at none of them.
It’s also a game where plenty of the 22 starters could find the net first and you would have trouble picking one out given the plethora of goalscoring talent on show in all areas of the pitch on both sides.
While both teams to score is a solid play, especially as it’s happened in all four of the Hammers’ home league games this season and Spurs have upped their attacking ante recently, it’s skinny at a best-priced 8/13.
Instead, it should pay to look at the shots markets, given these two teams both rank in the top-flight’s top six – surprising perhaps in Spurs’ case - for shots on target, averaging just under 5.5 and 4.5 per game each respectively.
It will surprise few that Son Heung-min and Harry Kane lead the way for Tottenham with nine on-target efforts each but given the South Korean appears to be in better form, I’m siding with him rather than the England captain here.
Now while Son to score anytime or to register two or more shots on target are both under 2/1, you can get 9/2 with Sky Bet on SON TO HAVE 1+ SHOTS ON TARGET IN EACH HALF. That bet would have landed in three of his seven Premier League games this term and is a smart way in on a forward very much in a good vein of form.
While Michail Antonio unsurprisingly leads the way for West Ham in terms of goals, overall shots and efforts on target, it’s actually Jarrod Bowen who is their more accurate shooter with a 50 per cent ratio, nine of his 18 shots this season testing the goalkeeper.
He’s averaging more than one shot on target per game and while you can get 3/1 on him registering two or more on Sunday, I fancy BOWEN TO HAVE 2+ LEFT-FOOTED SHOTS ON TARGET at 13/2. That’s a big jump in price, more than double, considering three-quarters of his efforts are from his left peg.
In a game where the result is difficult to forecast, with scoring options aplenty on each side, it’s best to side with two of the most reliable shooters to reward small stakes at relatively large odds.
West Ham v Tottenham score prediction and best bets
- Son Heung-min to have 1+ shots on target in each half at 9/2 (Sky Bet)
- Jarrod Bowen to have 2+ left-footed shots on target at 13/2 (Sky Bet)
Score prediction: West Ham 2-1 Tottenham (Sky Bet odds: 15/2)
Odds correct 1900 BST (22/10/21)
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