Prediction & odds for the game: Brighton (9/5) v West Ham (29/20) – ST is backing the home win

When: Saturday, 15th May @ 8pm K.O

Where: Amex Stadium

Brighton & Hove Albion will hope to put a dent in West Ham United’s top four hopes when the two meet in the Premier League this weekend.

Brighton

Brighton & Hove Albion are safe in the Premier League for another season but if they want to make sure they stay there as a consistent force in the next few years, they have to get things right during the summer transfer window. They’ve got impact players within their squad and perhaps now that Graham Potter has really settled into the role, they can start to play with a bit more freedom within their game.

A win against Leeds United at the start of May did a pretty good job of easing the pressure on a Brighton side who previously couldn’t buy a win from anywhere. Sure, they got a point from Chelsea and Everton, but a loss to Sheffield United compounded how much work there still is to do.

West Ham

West Ham United have quite clearly performed above and beyond the level that many expected of them this season with some anticipating that they’d be involved in a relegation battle before a ball was even kicked. David Moyes has done a stellar job with this squad in what has been his best managerial campaign for years, but if he really wants this season to be remembered, they have to kick on and win the remainder of their fixtures.

Huge wins over Wolves and Leicester were quickly forgotten when West Ham lost three of their last four against Newcastle, Chelsea and Everton. They did manage to come from behind to beat Burnley but in a race as intense as the top four scrap, you have to be incredibly consistent in order to be in with a real chance.

Conclusion

West Ham, on paper, should have more than enough to see themselves over the finish line here, but Brighton are the ones who are playing as if they’ve got nothing to lose. We think they’re going to implement their fluid style of passing and while the Hammers will panic, the Seagulls will stay calm and composed. We’re going to back Brighton to pick up the win here, effectively ending West Ham’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.

Our official scoreline prediction is going to be 2-1 Brighton, meaning we hit the over 2.5 goals marker. As is the case with most West Ham games this season, we’re expecting to see some real fireworks on the south coast.

Verdict: Back the home win at odds of 9/5 and the over 2.5 goals scored at odds of 1/1 (All odds are taken from bet365).

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If you want to bet on Brighton vs West Ham then head on over to the betting page. Alternatively, you can check out some of the other available fixtures on the soccer predictions page as the race to the finish in the Premier League continues.