West Ham will take on Brighton on Saturday, 21 December with the visitors looking to bounce back to form following a string of disappointing results.
The Seagulls started the season in fine form but have now gone four league matches without a win which has seen them slip down to ninth in the league table.
West Ham, meanwhile, have now gone two matches without a defeat and will feel they can take all three from this one in front of their home supporters.
How the bookies view it: The visitors start as favourites
Despite their recent bad run of form, the bookies are still siding with Brighton ahead of this one. BoyleSports have priced an away win at 5/4 while a victory for West Ham has been priced at 9/5. The draw, which wouldn't necessarily be a bad result for either team, has been priced at 13/5.
Recent head-to-head: Advantage Brighton
Since Brighton were promoted to the Premier League in 2017, West Ham have arguably been their favourite opponents. In 14 matches against the Hammers, Brighton have only lost on one occasion which is bad news if you are Julen Lopetegui. West Ham can take some solace from the fact that their one and only win in that run came last season.
Players to watch: Misfiring forwards in need of goals
Both West Ham and Brighton have forwards in their ranks who are currently in poor form which perhaps explains why neither side have been winning a lot of matches recently.
With Michail Antonio recovering in hospital after a horror car crash, West Ham have turned to Jarrod Bowen to spearhead their attack. However, the 27-year-old is far more of a weapon on the right wing which means Niclas Fullkrug could get the chance to start this weekend.
Things haven't gone well for the German since signing for the Hammers in the summer and he only has one league goal to his name so far. Although he has missed a large part of the campaign with an achilles injury he will be desperate to prove he is the man to lead West forward in the months ahead.
Meanwhile, Brighton's Joao Pedro has now gone four games without a goal for the Seagulls. The Brazilian's dry spell has coincided with Brighton's winless streak which tells you how everything you need to know how important he is to this team.
Predicted line-ups
Carlos Soler will miss this one for West Ham due to suspension which only furthers the case for Niclas Fullkrug starting. Meanwhile, Brighton are without at least five players for this one, including Danny Welbeck and James Milner, but there is a chance that Joel Veltman could return.
West Ham: Fabianski- Coufal, Mavropanos, Kilman, Wan-Bissaka – Alvarez, Soucek – Bowen, Paqueta, Kudus – Fullkrug
Brighton: Verbruggen – Lamptey, Van Hecke, Dunk, Estupinan – Baleba, Ayari – Minteh, Rutter, Mitoma, Pedro
Anything else catch the eye?
Brighton are one of the best teams to watch as a neutral as they are fun in an attacking sense but also leave plenty of gaps at the back. Both teams have scored in each of the Seagulls' last nine matches and both teams to score on Saturday has been priced at 2/5 by BoyleSports.
This English Premier League match between West Ham and Brighton will be played on Dec 21, 2024 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best West Ham vs Brighton prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
West Ham vs Brighton Betting Tips & Predictions
Further Reading
- AFC Bournemouth vs West Ham United Prediction and Betting Tips
- Chelsea vs Brentford Prediction and Betting Tips
- Brighton & Hove Albion vs Crystal Palace Prediction and Betting Tips
- Manchester City vs Manchester United Prediction and Betting Tips
- Southampton vs Tottenham Hotspur Prediction and Betting Tips
