West Ham vs Newcastle - Preview, Best Bets & H2H Record
- JN Value Betting
- Mar 9
- 2 min read
BEST BETS:
EDSON ALVAREZ - TO COMMIT 2+ FOULS - 5/4 (BET365) - 1PT
EDSON ALVAREZ - TO COMMIT 3+ FOULS - 4/1 (BET365) - 0.5PTS
Just six days prior to the Carabao Cup Final, Newcastle must negotiate matters in the Capital. A trip to West Ham will give them the opportunity to get their form back on track prior to Sunday's Wembley showpiece against Liverpool. Since their semi-final victory over Arsenal, the Magpies have won just two of their five matches, and a West Ham side who are on the back of two straight victories will fancy their chances of taking all three points. The bad news continued for Newcastle in midweek with Lewis Hall being ruled out for the rest of the season, just days after Anthony Gordon's dismissal against Brighton in the FA Cup that has ensured he will miss their date with destiny. It's easy to forgive Newcastle for having their minds elsewhere given the trophy drought they're currently enduring, and I can see this West Ham side causing them problems.
The last two games has seen traces of a Graham Potter side being established, with them securing six points against Arsenal and Leicester. The Hammers will be looking to do a league double over Newcastle for the first time in six years, having won the reverse fixture at St James' Park under former manager Julien Lopetegui. Potter has started to utilise Edson Alvarez in midfield alongside James Ward-Prowse, despite Alvarez being heavily linked with a move away from the London Stadium in the January transfer window. Ward-Prowse was out on loan at Nottingham Forest when Potter came in, but he has wasted no time in utilising the set-piece specialist. Edson Alvarez is never too far away from the referee's attention, and I see this fixture being no different. Alvarez has committed at least three fouls in six of the seven Premier League games under Potter, and facing a Newcastle side that has seen an opposing midfielder commit at least two fouls in 25 of their 36 games this season, I am keen to get the Mexican on side. He is priced at 5/4 to commit at least two fouls here, and with this being priced as short as 1/3 elsewhere, I am happy to get stuck-in. The 4/1 available for him to continue his run of fouling at least three times seems a massive price, and is priced next best 2/1 elsewhere. Alvarez is averaging 2.13 fouls per 90 this season, and I see that average being hit here.
HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD
LAST 5 MATCHES:
25/11/2024 - Newcastle 0-2 WEST HAM (Premier League)
30/03/2024 - NEWCASTLE 4-3 West Ham (Premier League)
08/10/2023 - West Ham 2-2 Newcastle (Premier League)
05/04/2023 - West Ham 1-5 NEWCASTLE (Premier League)
04/02/2023 - Newcastle 1-1 West Ham (Premier League)
