West Ham United's last season at Boleyn Ground was always slated to be a solid one where the team competes for a Top 6 spot in the Premier League. However, some pundits believe this team is closer to relegation than European soccer thanks to some nasty preseason injuries, and that might end up proving costly against one of the giants of the sport, Arsenal on Sunday.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Gunners are hoping to have a really strong season this year, and the opening match of the season is indicative of that. They are -1.5 on the Asian handicap and -350 on the moneyline, and you'll be hard-pressed to find any legitimate soccer nut who believes this fixture will end any way than with Arsenal picking up three points.
The total to open up the campaign is understandably high given the forward-thinking nature of both of these clubs. The total to beat is set at 3 with -118 vig on the under.
KEY INJURIES
Poor West Ham. Already this season, Andy Carroll has been lost to a knee injury which will keep him out until September, and Enner Valencia is likely to miss much of the campaign with various leg injuries. Carl Jenkinson is on loan from Arsenal and is ineligible to play in this match as well.
Arsenal has concerns of its own as well. Tomas Rosicky will sit out the first few matches of the season as he recovers from a knee injury. Alexis Sanchez is expected to sit out this duel as well as he gets back into shape from his Copa America stint with Chile. Danny Welbeck didn't make the preseason trip to Singapore, which leaves him in doubt for the opener as well courtesy of a knee issue.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"We were disappointed by the result. But if you ask if we are angry and upset, I would say no because we have got to try and win on Thursday night and then we have got Arsenal on Sunday." – West Ham midfielder Mark Noble after a disheartening 2-2 draw against Romanian side FK Astra Giurgiu in the third qualifying round of the Europa League
RECENT FORM
The season started really early for the Hammers. They have already played through two qualifying rounds for the Europa League, successfully offing both Lusitanos and Birkirkara. The club did suffer an unsightly preseason loss to Colchester United, and a 3-2 win at Southend United won't do anything to help supporters either.
The Hammers have since drawn 0-0 against Charlton and have beaten Norwich City 1-0. The most recent affair was the third qualifying round opener against FK Astra, and the return leg of that is to be played on Thursday, a fixture which West Ham knows it is probably better off losing to avoid having to play midweek fixtures throughout the EPL season.
Arsenal has had a heck of a go of it of late. The team whipped Lyon 6-0 and beat Wolfsburg 1-0 on consecutive days in friendly matches, but most importantly, it came home from Singapore and beat Chelsea in the Community Shield at Wembley Stadium 1-0. If the Gunners are legitimately good enough to challenge the Blues this year, they might end up really being able to contend for the Premier League title as well.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
West Ham is in a lot of trouble up front, as it just doesn't have the attacking options to stick around with Arsenal as we see it.
It's not usual that you talk about a team being fatigued before the first match of any season, but West Ham's side is smaller than the average EPL outlet, and that's going to show on Sunday at the Emirates.
Petr Cech will have a successful Premier League debut with Arsenal, as we suspect this will be the team's fourth clean sheet in a row to start off the season.
Arsenal 3, West Ham 0
BookMaker has live Premier League odds for every clash of the season. You can find a moneyline price on Arsenal of -350 and a total of 3 right now! BookMaker is also going to have multiple betting options available for this nationally-televised match. Live wagering during commercials offers an adjusted moneyline, total and spread. Log in and start gambling during the soccer game now!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here, so start betting with BookMaker today! The fixture between Arsenal and West Ham will take place at 8:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, August 9, 2015 at Emirates Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network.
