West Ham United vs. Watford Prediction, 7/17/20
Both sitting three points above the drop-zone, two teams will try to enhance their chances of survival in the Premier League while facing off against each other, as 16th-placed West Ham United are playing host to 17th-placed Watford. Kick-off - at 15:00 PM ET on Friday, July 17.
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West Ham Destroy Norwich
West Ham United improved their chances of survival in the Premier League this season after banking their second victory in the last four games (W2 D1 L1) following a 4-0 beat-down of bottom-dwelling Norwich City at Carrow Road on Saturday. The Hammers bagged two goals in each half, with Michail Antonio netting every snipe, becoming the first West Ham player to score four markers in a league fixture since David Cross against Tottenham Hotspur in September 1981. Since the restart of English soccer, Antonio has been involved in 78% of all Hammers’ tallies (6 goals, 1 assist). The team is 16th in the league (W9 D7 L19), sitting three points above the bottom three.
Following his four-goal performance against Norwich, Antonio now leads West Ham with eight Premier League markers for the season. Goalie Lukasz Fabianski, meanwhile, sits 17th in the EPL with 64 saves. He has recorded five clean sheets in 22 appearances this season and allows a goal every 60 minutes on average. The Hammers have netted the 10th highest number of goals during the current campaign (44), while delivering the 14th highest amount of shots per game (11). The team is 5th from the bottom in ball possession (45.1%) and 14th in passing accuracy (76.0%).
Watford Edge Out Newcastle
The chances of staying in the Premier League for another season improved for Watford, who banked its second consecutive 2-1 victory, following up their domestic triumph against Norwich City on July 7 with a home win versus Newcastle United at Vicarage Road on Saturday. A shot by Danny Welbeck ended up hitting the post before the visitors took a 1-0 lead in the 23rd minute, only for the Hornets to bounce back in the following frame with two penalties courtesy of captain Troy Deeney. Watford now sits 17th in the EPL (W8 D10 L17), three points above the drop-zone.
With eight league markers in his pocket, Hornets’ captain Deeney tops his team’s scoring table. His English compatriot Ben Foster, meanwhile, occupies the 7th position in Premier League’s goalkeeper chart, having stopped 108 shots this year. He has picked up nine clean sheets in 35 matches during the ongoing campaign and concedes a snipe every 58 minutes of play. Watford has buried the 3rd lowest amount of EPL goals this season (33) while delivering the 12th highest quantity of shots per game (11.1). The team is 3rd from the bottom in both ball possession (44.2%) and passing accuracy (73.3%).
Prediction
Both sitting just three points above the relegation zone with three fixtures remaining, West Ham United and Watford know really well that a victory in this matchup would give a tremendous boost for survival to the winning side. The Hornets are riding a two-game triumph streak, while the Hammers could post their third victory in the past five matches, having dropped just one of their last four decisions (W2 D1 L1). Out of the two, West Ham is definitely the team to watch closer. The Hammers have already beaten Watford in three of their past four encounters (W3 L1) and have looked decent in their previous few home outings (W3 D2 L3), while the Hornets have lost four consecutive road contests in the EPL, failing to score a single snipe in all of them.
Best bet:
West Ham to win (+140)
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