Leicester City vs. West Ham United Premier League Soccer Odds

With the final day of the 2022-23 Premier League season upon us on May 28th, there isn’t much that has yet to be decided other than a three-team battle to avoid the other two relegation spots.

One of those teams is Leicester City, who will take on West Ham United at home at the King Power Stadium needing a win to keep their slim chances alive. With that desperation no doubt in mind, most of the top sports betting sites have Leicester as the very slight favorites to win on the moneyline on Sunday.

Leicester City vs. West Ham United Premier League Odds - May 28th, 1130AM EST

These teams are no stranger to one another, playing twice a season since Leicester made their return to the Premier League back in 2014. The Leicester City Foxes have lost just five of the 18 meetings with the West Ham Hammers since then. All odds provided by Sports Interaction.

Total Goals Prop

Leicester City has scored the most goals of any team in the bottom half of the league table and allowed the fourth-most goals of any team in all of the Premier League this season, which is likely a large part of the reason the over on this match’s 2.5 total goals prop is priced at -152.

Leicester plays an open style of football that is conducive to a lot of scoring, and that type of football has been what we’ve seen more often than not when the Foxes have clashed with the Hammers in recent years, with seven of the last eight meetings finishing with three goals or more.

However, there is also reason to consider the under here, which is at very tasty +110 odds going into the match. Leicester has actually scored the seventh-fewest goals at home this year, and only two teams have scored fewer goals away from home during this campaign than West Ham.

Leicester City Premier League Odds Analysis

It has not been a bed of roses for Leicester City this year. The Foxes have not been able to stop their opponents from scoring all season, and they don’t quite have the firepower anymore to allow that to happen and still get enough results to be a competitive top half of the table kind of side.

After winning the Premier League in 2016, they could be out of the league again just seven years later. That’s a pretty dubious honor and will no doubt be used as a big incentive for this team as they try to stay in the top division for a 10th straight year.

They unfortunately had to part ways with manager Brendan Rogers midway through the season, but his replacement, the experienced Dean Smith, hasn’t fared much better. The Foxes simply didn’t have enough defensive energy and size to consistently stop—until their 0-0 draw at Newcastle this past Monday.

In that game Smith sacrificed skill and offensive creativity for shape and defensive solidity, and while Newcastle unequivocally dominated the game, they were never able to score, which allowed Leicester City to nearly nick the game on the counter in stoppage time.

Now, that strategy was used against a top three side, so Smith could very well return to a more attack-minded setup against West Ham, but just the fact that they were able to do it should inspire the Leicester back line and help them to kick on and play with a little more effort and fire against the Hammers even without the extra defensive support.

West Ham United Premier League Odds Analysis

Since 1990, West Ham United have been playing in England’s top flight for all but three seasons, with their current run about to be extended to 12 straight years. However, they were in the relegation battle this season for far too long, and it will be their first season since 2020 finishing outside of the top half of the table.

Manager David Moyes has somehow held onto his job through all the turmoil the team has had this season, which is a positive sign for the club’s continuity. After a brutal start that saw them in the relegation zone as late as mid-February, they put together a midseason run of 14 points in eight matches to secure their safety.

Now, they sit comfortably in mid-table and even have the chance to win their first ever European trophy, as they were able to reach the final of the fledgling Europa Conference League in the competition’s second season.

With their safety no longer in doubt and nothing else to chase in the league, it is quite plausible that Moyes and company will have their sights set on the ECL final against Fiorentina on June 7th rather than on this match with Leicester. This lack of focus could certainly lead to mistakes and a more openly played match, which the Foxes surely wouldn’t mind.