Brighton and Brentford both went into Christmas on a bit of a downer so they will be desperate to restore a bit of festive spirit when they face off in this Premier League clash.
The Bees crashed to a 2-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest on Saturday and that made it three defeats in a row for Thomas Frank's side.
It has still been a good start to the season for Brentford though and they sit comfortably clear of the drop zone in mid-table as we prepare to enter a new year.
Brighton are two points and two places above the Bees but they were sitting a lot higher before hitting the first real slump of new gaffer Fabian Hurzeler's reign.
Saturday's 1-1 draw with West Ham, which saw a scorer bet land for our man Andy, made it five games without a win for the Seagulls.
Their last home was a desperately disappointing 3-1 loss to bitter rivals Crystal Palace, which saw some bets land for Slips Tips, so Hurzeler will be out to stop the slide.
How the bookies view it: Seagulls set to soar again
This is a tricky one to call with both teams in poor form but BoyleSports make Brighton their 4/6 favourites with home advantage. That's probably down to Brentford's dismal away form and the Bees are 7/2 outsiders, with the draw paying 15/4.
Recent head to head: Brighton just edging it
There hasn't been much between these sides in recent years, with the last eight meetings producing three Brighton victories, two Brentford wins and three draws. The Seagulls won 2-1 when Brentford came to the AMEX Stadium last term.
Players to watch: Pedro needs to get back in groove
Joao Pedro has gone off the boil for Brighton in recent weeks and their run without a win has coincided with his five-game drought. Getting the Brazilian firing again will be key to their season and he's 5/4 for anytime scorer here with BoyleSports.
Yoane Wisse has been a consistent scorer for Brentford this term with his 10 goals spread out across the whole campaign. The striker will fancy his chances here and is 11/4 for anytime scorer.
Probable line-ups
Brighton have doubts over Danny Welbeck, Ferdi Kadioglu, Jack Hinshelwood, Paul van Hecke and Matts Wiefer, while James Milner, Solly March and Adam Webster are set to miss out again.
Brentford are sweating on Sepp van den Berg, Mads Roerslev and Matthias Jensen while Josh Dasilva, Aaron Hickey, Rico Henry, Igor Thiago and Ethan Pinnock are still out. #
Brighton and Hove Albion: Verbruggen, Dunk, van Hecke, Estupinan, Veltman, Ayari, J Pedro, Baleba, Mitoma, Ferguson, Rutter.
Brentford: Flekken, Mee, Ajer, Collins, Lewis-Potter, Norgaard, Damsgaard, Janelt, Yarmoluk, Wissa, Mbeumo.
Anything else catch the eye?
Both these teams are usually pretty progressive so this should be a decent game with chances at both ends. BTTS pays just 4/9 at BoyleSports but if you combine that with no draw then the odds increase to 21/20.
Last season's meeting at the AMEX produced 10 corners, with seven of them going to the Seagulls. That makes Brighton worth a look here at -3 in the corner handicap, which pays 11/10 at Bet365.
The midfield battle will be key to deciding who wins this game and it could pay to back a few men in the engine room for cards. Brighton enforcer Carlos Baleba is 5/2 at BoyleSports to go in the book while Brentford's Christian Norgaard is 9/4 in the same market.
This should be quite a tight game and the half-time draw appeals at 7/5 with BoyleSports.
This English Premier League match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Brentford will be played on Dec 27, 2024 and kick off at 19:30. Check below for our tipsters best Brighton and Hove Albion vs Brentford prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
