West Ham vs Tottenham betting tips, BuildABet, best bets and preview
Football betting tips: Premier League
1pt Yves Bissouma to be carded at 27/10 (Unibet)
1pt Tomas Soucek to be carded at 10/3 (Betfair, bet365)
West Ham's recent three game winless run, compounded by letting a 3-1 lead slip at Newcastle at the weekend, means David Moyes' side are seventh and just one point above the Magpies in the table, with that spot likely enough for Europa League qualification this season.
They welcome a Tottenham side who bounced back from an away defeat at Fulham by coming from behind to beat Luton, making sure they remain hot on the heels of Aston Villa in the race for the top four.
Goals could well flow here given the way these two sides are attacking and defending at the moment, and we could see plenty of cards too, meaning it should be a cracking game for the neutrals.
What are the best bets?
I mention cards because the man in the middle, John Brooks, throws them like confetti. In the Premier League this season he has averaged 4.72 cards per game, while dishing four reds in his 18 outings.
There were six yellows between these sides in their previous meeting, while last season's two clashes saw three cards at Tottenham and a huge seven at the London Stadium. Despite not being an official derby, this is clearly a feisty rivalry between two aggressive groups of players.
YVES BISSOUMA was booked in this fixture last season, and he looks overpriced at 13/5 TO BE CARDED again here this season.
He's been carded eight times this season already, despite playing only 1643 minutes (the equivalent of 18 ninety minutes). That means his cards per 90 this season stands at 0.44, and given he could find himself isolated to deal with Lucas Paqueta and Jarrod Bowen as West Ham look to counter attack, his price certainly appeals.
I'll also back TOMAS SOUCEK TO BE CARDED, with the Hammers midfielder becoming a card magnet after moving slightly deeper since the return of Lucas Paqueta.
The Czechia international has picked up six cards this season, with three of those coming in his last four outings. With Paqueta out, Soucek was given license to play further forward and be a box-to-box midfielder.
Soucek's defensive workload has increased greatly in recent games as Moyes has brought Michail Antonio into the starting line up and deployed Paqueta as a number 10, meaning he has been part of a double-pivot with James Ward-Prowse or Edson Alvarez.
Those two players are different profiles and demand a different approach from Soucek, and with Alvarez suspended for this game, expect the big Czech to be the midfielder enforcer, thus increasing his chance of collecting a card.
Team news
West Ham are likely to be without Alphonse Areola for this one, while Nayef Aguerd is touch-and-go. The Hammers will definitely be missing Edson Alvarez after the Mexican picked up his tenth yellow card of the campaign against Newcastle meaning he is suspended.
Spurs are nearly fully fit for the first time in six months, with Ange Postecoglou now only missing Manor Solomon and Ryan Sessegnon as outfielders, while Fraser Forster remains out. Micky Van de Ven could be fit to start after being an unused substitute at the weekend following his recovery from a hamstring injury.
Predicted line-ups
West Ham XI: Areola; Coufal, Zouma, Mavropanos, Emerson; Soucek, Ward-Prowse; Kudus, Paqueta, Bowen; Antonio
Tottenham XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma; Kulusevski, Maddison, Werner; Son
Match facts
- West Ham are looking to achieve the Premier League double over Tottenham for the third time, previously doing so in 1998-99 and 2013-14.
- Tottenham are winless in their last three Premier League away games against West Ham (D1 L2), their longest run without a win at the Hammers since a run of six between 1995 and 2001.
- West Ham have conceded 19 goals in their eight Premier League London derby matches this season, suffering 5-0 (vs Fulham) and 6-0 (vs Arsenal) defeats so far. Only Fulham in 2018-19 (2.7) have conceded more goals-per-game in London derbies in a single Premier League campaign than West Ham’s 2.4 this term.
- Tottenham have lost three of their last five Premier League London derby matches (W2), as many as they had in their previous 19 (W10 D6). In the competition’s history, Spurs have conceded 398 goals in such games, and could be the second side to ship 400 after West Ham.
- Having won none of their six midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) Premier League games last season (D2 L4), West Ham are unbeaten in their four such games so far this term (W2 D2).
- West Ham have conceded at least once in each of their last 10 Premier League games, shipping 24 goals in total in this run. Their 54 goals conceded overall this season is just one fewer than they shipped in the whole of last term, while only in 2010-11 (1.84) have they had a higher goals conceded per game average than their 1.8 so far in 2023-24.
- Tottenham have won 22 points from losing positions in the Premier League so far this season, their third most in a single campaign after 2010-11 (24) and 2012-13 (23).
- West Ham’s James Ward-Prowse has either scored or assisted a goal in each of his last six Premier League games against Tottenham, scoring four and assisting three in this run. His 10 goal involvements overall against Spurs (6 goals, 4 assists) is his most against a single opponent in the competition.
- Jarrod Bowen has scored 15 Premier League goals this season – only Paolo Di Canio (16 in 1999-00) has ever netted more in a single campaign for West Ham United.
- West Ham’s Michail Antonio is looking to score in three consecutive Premier League games for the first time since August 2021. The Jamaican has scored more goals against Tottenham in the competition than he has against any other opponent (6).
Odds correct at 1700 GMT (31/03/24)
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