West Ham vs Stoke Premier League Preview

The Hammers have been on a real roll as of late and they’re looking like the solid favourites to give Stoke the business during Monday’s English Premier League fixture. The bookmakers have them priced at just above even money with a listing of around 21/20 with most major books. 

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The Potters are priced at a full 3/1 for the outright victory and many will be expecting this one to be a much tougher physical challenge than anything else. Neither side is particularly known for allowing many goals and there is absolutely every prospect that this one will wind up as a bore 0-0 draw. 

You reckon with both of these sides lining up - and both having a few physical players who will be looking to assert themselves - we could also see a red card or two. Even a penalty. 

The bookmakers are favouring a 1-1 draw or a 1-0 result to West Ham with both of those options priced as the shortest correct score margins. West Ham to win both halves of the double result would reward at 11/5, but you reckon that’s underlaid - this one will be much tougher than that. 

Virtually any West Ham fan will tell you that, despite his best efforts, Andy Carroll has not been contributing anything significant in front of goal lately and he’ll be looking to make a big statement here by beating Stoke at their own game - winning the physical challenges and making his presence felt. 

Carroll is a solid 6/4 to grab an anytime goal, but in a fixture where there likely isn’t going to be too much goalmouth action, you may want to back him to score first or last at 11/2. 

You sort of get the feeling that this one might be solved by a moment of magic (or madness) and that it could definitely come from a dead ball situation. 

Speaking of big players making their presence felt, West Ham should prepare themselves for the presence of Peter Crouch - he’s at 11/4 to grab an anytime goal while he’s 7/1 to score anytime and Stoke to win the match in 90 minutes.