Premier League Betting: Stoke City vs. West Ham United

Stoke City and West Ham United are set to collide on Saturday. Stoke City are currently in the middle of the table, anxious to avoid losing any ground; meanwhile, West Ham United, who are hovering at the bottom of the table, are keen to get to safety. There is a lot at stake in this match and both sides will be looking to take all three points.

Soccer Betting Line:

Stoke City -½ +115 +115 2½ O +125 U -145 1 O -135 U +115 Draw +225
West Ham United +½ -135 +245 2½ O +125 U -145 1 O +110 U -130 Draw +225

Match Time: 10:00 A.M. Eastern Time Saturday October 17, 2009

Soccer Betting Verdict: Stoke City have a modest record at home this season. Save for when they hosted a big four club – Chelsea and Man U – they have won at Britannia Stadium. They beat Burnley 2:0 and Sunderland 1:0 in Premier League action, and they beat Blackpool 4:3 in Carling Cup action.

Naturally, when Chelsea and Man U called in, they lost – mad props must be given for the respectable losses, 2:1 and 2:0 respectively. They could have easily been blown off the pitch by either side.

Stoke City are after drawing 1:1 at Everton a fortnight ago on the road. The result has to be seen as a positive as it stopped the bleeding on their road trips. Prior to their trip to Goodison Park, Stoke had come up blank in away matches.

West Ham United are in all sorts of trouble this season, not the least is playing below expectations. West Ham are 19 th in the table after hauling just five points in seven cycles. Last season, they were fighting for a spot in Europa League! This year they are in a different and less desirable fight – the relegation battle. How quickly things can change.

Stoke have a more positive trend going for them and an encouraging home record which makes them the smarter play for the outright win. They are marginally favoured at +115 to do so.

That West Ham United need to win this match is obvious. They are on a negative trend on the road, having lost back-to-back matches on the away so the temptation is to avoid them for the outright win. However, they will have to turn things around sooner rather than later. And, they certainly have the quality to do so as they are much better than their results would indicate. Might they finally find that illusive form? Sprinkling their +245 underdog odds might be a good idea.

Soccer Free Picks: West Ham United +245 | Under 2.5 goals -145