English Premier
2012-12-01 - West Ham United vs Chelsea
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English Premier League
Saturday 1 December 2012 - Kick Off 12:45pm
This game is live on TV
West Ham United
West Ham United were really brave in defeat at Old Trafford on Wednesday night and some would consider them a little unfortunate not have picked up a result from Manchester United. Sam Allardyce is no longer vilified at Upton Park as he was last season, especially as the Hammers are over-achieving at this moment in time.
The side are still in the top half of the table in 10th place in the Premier League and their 19 points means they are 7 points clear of the relegation zone and almost half way to the magical 40 point safety mark. West Ham are 3-3-1 at Upton Park this season, scoring 11 goals and conceding 6 in those games.
West Ham have lost back to back League games at Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United and they have now won 1 of their last 6 games in the Premier League. They are unbeaten in their last 3 home games since a 1-3 loss to Arsenal and that includes holding Manchester City to a draw.
Mark Noble returns from a suspension and George McCartney may just be able to return from an injury that kept both players out at Old Trafford. Jack Collison and Ricardo Vaz Te remain out, while Yossi Benayoun is ineligible to play against his parent club.
Chelsea
Rafa Benitez is clearly not very welcome at Stamford Bridge and the fans won't exactly get on board as he has overseen back to back goalless draws at Stamford Bridge over the last six days and now face a very tough test in East London. Chelsea have begun to fall off the pace set by the Manchester clubs in the Premier League, while their Champions League defence could be ended as early as next week.
Chelsea did move back up to 3rd in the table on Wednesday night, but they are now 7 points behind Manchester United which makes this game even more important for them. They have a 3-2-1 record away from home in the League this season, scoring 10 goals and conceding 6 in those games.
The side have only recorded 1 win in their last 10 games in all competitions and have failed to pick up the victory in any of their last 5 games as they come into this one. Chelsea have actually failed to score in their last 3 games in all competitions, while they have haven't won any of their last 4 away games since a 2-4 win at Tottenham Hotspur. In fact, Chelsea have lost 3 of their last 4 games since that win at White Hart Lane.
David Luiz is suspended and John Terry is missing, although Gary Cahill will be available. Frank Lampard and Daniel Sturridge are both going to need to pass fitness tests to determine their availability in this game.
Head to Head
Chelsea did the League double over West Ham United two seasons ago, including a 1-3 win for the Blues at Upton Park.
That means Chelsea have won 5 of their last 6 visits to Upton Park.
Prediction
Being away from home may actually be a benefit for Chelsea in this game after the reception they have been given in their last 2 home games since Rafa Benitez took over as manager until the end of the season.
However, Upton Park is not exactly the place you want to visit when form and confidence is at a low, especially with the way that West Ham United have played here so far this season.
Granted, Arsenal did come here and recover from a 1-0 deficit to win the game 1-3, but Manchester City were held here and I think the Hammers can take advantage of a team missing the likes of John Terry and David Luiz.
Before the Fulham game, Chelsea were very short to win this game, but I still don't understand how they can be odds on here so I am taking the home side to avoid defeat.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
West Ham United 1-1 Chelsea
Gooner’s Statistical Value Bet
I'll back West Ham United + 0.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.95
