WITH one foot already in the Europa Conference League quarter-finals, West Ham United will be looking to finish the job when they welcome AEK Larnaca to the London Stadium on Thursday night.
The Hammers claimed a solid if unspectacular 2-0 win in last week's first leg in Cyprus, in a game that brought up one of my recommended bets.
That victory temporarily eased the pressure on manager David Moyes who has come under fire at West Ham this season amid his team’s poor performances and results.
Last time out, the east Londoners lifted themselves out of the Premier League relegation zone after playing out a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa.
As for AEK Larnaca, their preparations for this return match were far from ideal as they slumped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Apollon on Monday evening.
While the visitors won't have given up hope of qualifying, it's going to be a very tall order for José Luis Oltra's side to get anything from this match.
Outright Betting
West Ham United, who have won each of their nine matches in this season's Europa Conference League, head into this second leg as heavy 1/4 (Bet 365) favourites.
AEK Larnaca arrive at the London stadium as big underdogs at 14/1 (Boylesports) while the draw is an unfancied 24/5 (UniBet).
Betting Angles
Unsurprisingly, West Ham head into this second leg as short priced favourites, however we can boost those odds up to a more attractive looking 4/5 (Marathonbet) by backing the hosts to overcome a – 1.5 start on the Asian Handicap.
This selection would deliver a full pay-out if West Ham win by a two-goal margin or greater and that holds plenty of appeal given that the Hammers form in Europe's third tier competition this term to date.
As already alluded to, West Ham have posted a flawless nine wins from in Europe this season, overcoming a -1.5 hurdle on five of those occasions, one of which was last week's first leg win in Larnaca.
What's more, I suspect Hammers boss David Moyes may field a strong side on Thursday night, as the hosts do not play again until April, not to mention a convincing win could help restore some confidence.
While AEK Larnaca have had some mixed results away from home in Europe this season, a trip to the English capital is a further step-up in class and the hosts have already seen off a similar standard of opposition with relative ease in previous rounds.
With all that in mind, backing West Ham with a –1.5 start at 4/5 (Marathonbet) looks worthy of interest given that the hosts should safely negotiate this game with minimum fuss .
Although West Ham have not delivered goals and excitement by the bucket load this season, this could represent an ideal opportunity to rack up a few strikes.
I'm therefore happy to also have small interest in West Ham scoring three or more goals at 6/5 (Bet 365) on Thursday night – something Moyes' men have managed in five of their nine Conference League outings this season so far.
This UEFA Champions League match between West Ham United and AEK Larnaca will be played on Mar 16, 2023 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best West Ham United vs AEK Larnaca prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
