Football
Bournemouth vs West Ham: Preview, Odds, Tips and Predictions Dec 16, 2024
The Cherries will be looking to win their second match in a row at home after pipping Tottenham Hotspur the last time they played at the Vitality Stadium as Premier League betting fans gear up for the encounter. Our in-depth preview gives you insights into the odds, tips and predictions. Be sure to check it out.
Lewis Cook and Jarrod Bowen//Getty Images
Julen Lopetegui’s men will travel to Vitality Stadium hoping to improve on their most recent results. West Ham lost their last two games and have been without Mohamed Kudus since October 19.
The Hammers sit outside the top ten and have been rather disappointing this season as far as expectations, having finished ninth in the previous campaign. Their key player, Mohammed Kudus, has failed to fire, and his suspension did not serve the team well.
Bournemouth, on the other hand, sit nicely in the top ten with a positive goal record as compared to their counterparts. They have taken the scalps of some big teams in the form of Arsenal and most recently Tottenham Hotspur.
The last game between both teams in the Premier League was a 1-1 draw at the London Stadium and this time around either team will surely be looking for a win over their counterparts.
Pre-Game Odds and Probability: Odds Fancy Bournemouth
Home: 3/4 (1.75) – 57.1%
Draw: 81/25 (4.24) – 23.6%
Away: 347/100 (4.47) 22.3%
Head-to-Head Record
The last time Bournemouth beat West Ham was on January 19, 2019, and ironically enough it was their home game with a 2-0 result. Based on current form, a repeat result is probably possible this time as the home team seeks to break their duck against West Ham.
Last Five Meetings (Premier League)
01/02/24 West Ham 1 Bournemouth 1
12/08/23 Bournemouth 1 West Ham 1
23/04/23 Bournemouth 0 West Ham 4
24/10/22 West Ham 2 Bournemouth 0
01/01/20 West Ham 4 Bournemouth 0
Bournemouth Current Form – WWWLL
Following their away game at Ipswich Town, they will be returning home hoping they will make it two wins in a row after narrowly defeating Ange Postecoglou’s men on December 5.
In their last five games, nine goals were conceded, and they would hope to stop the leakage at the back against a team that has not been that good on the road. Perhaps that will be incentive enough to go for all three points.
With Kepa Arrizabalaga in goal, the possibilities are high. The Spanish shot-stopper has nine clean sheets so far to his name this season, with the most recent being against Tottenham, preceded by one against Arsenal on October 19 in a 2-0 win.
Andoni Iraola will be hoping that his team will rise to the occasion against relatively weaker opposition as they have against the bigger teams whom they have beaten convincingly.
Key Players to Watch
- Keppa Arrizabalaga: Arrizabalaga’s experience will be key and might just be the difference against West Ham. The last time out at home, the Spanish goalie was solid in goal not letting anything go past him. His leadership will also provide the team impetus heading into this encounter.
- Dean Huijsen: The teenager is slowly racking up the games as the season progresses and is showing immense potential. Huijsen scored in their last home game and his aerial prowess is something Iraola will be looking to utilise in set pieces.
- Justin Kluivert: Playing just behind Evanilson, Kluivert’s ability to provide assists and score goals will be key in this encounter. The Dutchman has so far scored five and assisted four times this season, a total of nine-goal involvements. On a good day, he has the potential to make the team tick and spur them on to a good result.
Bournemouth News
Bournemouth are still without the services of several players owing to injury, a majority of whom are recovering from thigh injuries. Julien Araujo and Marcos Senesi are some of those players currently missing.
West Ham Current Form- LLWDL
West Ham come into this game with a morale-boosting victory against Wolves, which was preceded by two losses on the trot to Leicester City and Arsenal.
After his five-game suspension, Mohammed Kudus is slowly trying to find the form that made him dear to the fans. The Ghanaian forward was given a starting birth on his return but failed to spark as his team were outfoxed by newly appointed Leicester boss Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Their last three away games in the Premier League saw them concede ten goals in total and this is a key indicator of how leaky they are at the back. Overall, they also have a negative goal difference of minus eight goals having conceded far more than they have scored.
Lopetegui will have to consider all going into this game with his team's away form in mind. A draw would be the more favourable result with less or no goals conceded and might just be incentive enough to build up good form.
Key Players to Watch
- Mohammed Kudus: The Ghanaian winger can dismantle any team on a good day with his blistering pace and skills; all he needs now is a cool head on his shoulder. He might just be the man to turn things around for West Ham and probably win it for them in this encounter.
- Tomas Soucek: Soucek’s ability to drive with the ball as well as cover his defence makes him a key player coming into this game. If he’s able to deliver quality passes to the front players on the day, West Ham might just have a fighting chance.
- Max Kilman: Kilman has been a mainstay in West Ham’s starting lineup this season, featuring in all the games and completing ninety minutes in each. What his team needs now more than anything is for him to marshal the backline resolutely to get something from Bournemouth.
West Ham News
Michail Antonio has undergone surgery for a fractured leg following his car crash. The Jamaican is not expected to be part of the team for some time as he recovers. Jean-Clair Todibo is still recovering from a groin injury.
Predicted Line-ups
Bournemouth: 4-2-3-1
Arrizabalaga, Kerkez, Huijsen, Zabarnyi, Smith, Christie, Cook, Tavernier, Kluivert, Semenyo, Evanilson
West Ham United: 4-2-3-1
Fabianski, Wan-Bissaka, Kilman, Mavropanos, Coufal, Soucek, Alvarez, Kudus, Soler, Bowen, Ings
Suggested Bets
If you love betting on football, here are some suggested bets from some of the top sportsbooks.
Second Half Over 0.5: Most teams concede goals in the closing stages of the game, usually the last ten minutes or so. That is when concentration drops drastically. West Ham tend to concede a lot in the second half, so it’s highly possible that Bournemouth will score. (3/20 with Betway).
Both Teams to Score: We believe this will be an open game between two teams who will have a go at each other. The chances of them both scoring a very high. (29/50 with Betway), (27/50 with 10Bet).
Over 1.5: Nine of the last ten games between Bournemouth and West Ham have seen a score of over 1.5 goals. We will therefore use history as a barometer. (4/25 with Betway), (4/25 with Superbets).
Value Bets
Goal Range – 2-3: Although we believe the encounter will be open with some goals, our prediction for the goal range will be between 2-3 as neither would want to continue leaking goals at the back, especially West Ham. (27/25 with 10Bets), (61/50 with Betway).
Highest Scoring Half – Second Half: West Ham have let in a lot of goals in the second half. They conceded two against Leicester City recently, two against Nottingham Forest and one against Manchester United some time back. Under some pressure, goals will surely come in from Bournemouth in that period. (19/20 with Betway).
Winning Margin – Bournemouth by 1: One goal will separate these two teams with any score. It will be an open game but still tight as far as we see it and based on Bournemouth’s most recent results which were wins by a one-goal margin. (29/10 with Betway).
Prediction: Bournemouth to Win
Bournemouth are the better-formed team coming into this one and a win is very likely against a team that is not doing that good. The Bees’ most recent game was a 2-1 comeback from behind win against Ipswich Town and they’ve shown the mantle to hold their own when leading.
Should they score first the game is more than likely to go their way with another goal following soon. West Ham will most likely get a consolation goal in that instance, but should they score first, Bournemouth are more than capable of mounting a fightback. Thus, goals will be a thing in this game.
Based in Johannesburg, South Africa, Jimmy holds a Diploma in Journalism and Media Studies. He’s a passionate sports enthusiast with broad knowledge across various disciplines.
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