Back Draw and Away in the Double Chance market at 1.88
Leicester City
Claudio Ranieri appears an avuncular, jolly fellow, but the Leicester boss isn't spreading too much festive cheer at the moment. His Premier League champions are making a dreadful fist of defending their title, and the Italian admits that everyone connected with the Foxes is pretty concerned.
Leicester go into this set of fixtures having won just one of their last nine Premier League matches. They have collected just 17 points from their first 18 games, and Opta tell us that's the worst top-flight title defence at this stage of a campaign since Ipswich Town's efforts of 1962. Rugged defending was a key attribute as Ranieri's side secured that massive trophy, but they haven't kept a clean sheet in any of their last 11 league outings, their worst run for more than two years.
This terrible form makes the club's exploits in the Champions League all the more remarkable (they topped their group to set up a last-16 clash with Sevilla), and they showed what they are capable of as they smashed Manchester City 4-2 three weeks ago. That day's hat-trick hero Jamie Vardy is still suspended, but Riyad Mahrez is expected to return after being rested for the home defeat to Everton on Boxing Day. Defenders Christian Fuchs and Robert Huth are both available after suspension.
West Ham United
West Ham supporters can certainly empathise with Leicester fans at the moment, as their team's campaign has also been a massive disappointment so far. However, with ten points collected from the last four games, the Hammers are turning things around. Manager Slaven Bilic was given the backing of the club's powerbrokers, and the Croatian has now led his side eight points clear of the dropzone.
Burnley and Hull City were both edged out 1-0 at the London Stadium, and a rampant 4-1 win at Swansea secured a third consecutive league victory, a result that saw Swans boss Bob Bradley shown the door. It's been a fine response to a thoroughly embarrassing 5-1 destruction by Arsenal at the start of the month, and Opta tell us that West Ham are hoping to win four top-flight games on the bounce for the first time since February 2014.
Despite blatantly making eyes at the likes of PSG, Dimitri Payet is still performing well (the stats defy the perception), Bilic says attacking battering ram Andy Carroll is currently injury-free, and Pedro Obiang is available after a ban. It's no coincidence that results have improved since the Hammers' injury crisis eased.
Leicester are a tricky side to judge, because they do still have most of the players that won the title, and the dismissal of Pep Guardiola's Manchester City shows they have quality. However, it's hard to ignore a run of one win in nine league games, and if you combine that with West Ham's resurgence, it's hard to justify the hosts' price of 2.12 for the win. The Foxes have lost two of their last four home games, Jamie Vardy is out, and they are leaking goals.
That price could be attacked in a number of ways, but I would recommend backing Draw or Away in the Double Chance market at 1.88. That will only deny you a winner if Leicester take all three points.
Overs is trading at 1.89 here, and that seems a decent price. Six of West Ham's nine Premier League away games have featured three goals or more, and the Hammers have only failed to score in one Premier League game this season.
Leicester have seen six of their nine PL home matches contain at least three goals, and overall an overs bet has landed in 13 of their 18 league games this term.
Seven of the clubs' last eight meetings have seen both teams find the net, and there's every reason to suggest that will happen again here. Leicester have only failed to score in six of their last 35 Premier League home matches, but they haven't managed a top-flight clean sheet at the King Power Stadium since the first week of October.
West Ham have seen both teams find the net in seven of their nine away games in the league this season, so even if Yes in the BTTS market is a bit short at 1.76 for our usual tastes, I still think it's worth a look.
Recommended Bets
Back Draw and Away in the Double Chance market at 1.88
Back Both Teams To Score at 1.76
Back Draw and Away in the Double Chance market at 1.88
Back Both Teams To Score at 1.76
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