Brighton v West Ham predictions, betting odds and bet builder tips

Where to watch Brighton v West Ham

Sky Sports Premier League & Main Event, 5.30pm Saturday

Best bet

Brighton to win & both teams to score
2pts 9-5 Betfair

Brighton v West Ham odds

Brighton 8-15
West Ham 5-1
Draw 15-4

Odds correct at time of publishing

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Brighton v West Ham team news

Brighton
Forward Julio Enciso (knee) joins Jakub Moder on the sidelines so Joao Pedro should come into the starting 11.

West Ham
Centre-back Nayef Aguerd is suspended but Thilo Kehrer is fit again. Another defender, new signing Konstantinos Mavropanos, will have to wait for his Hammers debut as he recovers from a minor injury.

Brighton v West Ham predictions

Brighton are top of the Premier League, ahead of last season's top two Manchester City and Arsenal, after the first two rounds of fixtures and the scintillating Seagulls should be backed for another entertaining victory at home to West Ham.

Roberto De Zerbi's men finished sixth in 2022-23 and, despite the departures of key midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo, they show no signs of regressing.

Brighton have had a favourable early fixture list, hosting relegation favourites Luton on the opening day before a trip to Wolves, who had been well backed for the drop after a difficult build-up to the campaign.

However, the manner of the Seagulls' 4-1 wins over the Hatters and Wanderers suggests another exciting campaign is in prospect for the Sussex side and the goals are unlikely to dry up when West Ham visit.

The Hammers lost 2-0 at home to Brighton last season before a 4-0 drubbing at the Amex in March and manager David Moyes has been forced into a defensive reshuffle as centre-back Nayef Aguerd is suspended.

Aguerd had an eventful game against Chelsea last weekend, heading in a James Ward-Prowse corner to put the Hammers 1-0 up in the seventh minute before being dismissed for a second bookable offence midway through the second half.

West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola saved an Enzo Fernandez penalty when the score was 1-1 before a fine Michail Antonio strike and an injury-time spot-kick from Lucas Paqueta gave the Irons a 3-1 win over their London rivals.

That result, along with an opening 1-1 draw at Bournemouth, strengthened the belief that the Hammers are better in attack than in defence and Brighton should relish a crack at a back four missing the shield provided by Declan Rice last season.

Ward-Prowse's set-piece expertise is a valuable asset, as he proved on his debut against Chelsea, but in open play he is no like-for-like replacement for England international Rice, who moved to Arsenal for £105m in the summer.

Brighton are missing talented young forward Julio Enciso, who suffered a knee injury in training this week, but Joao Pedro poses a similar threat playing off the centre-forward.

Kaoru Mitoma and Solly March have made outstanding starts to the season – March has scored three goals in two games and Mitoma produced a brilliant individual effort at Molineux – so backing Brighton to win and both teams to score appeals at just under 2-1.

Key stat

Both teams have scored in seven of Brighton's last eight Premier League matches

Probable teams

Brighton (4-2-3-1): Steele; Milner, Webster, Dunk, Estupinan; Gross, Dahoud; March, Pedro, Mitoma; Welbeck
Subs: Lallana, Gilmour, Ferguson, Veltman, Van Hecke, Adingra, Julio

West Ham (4-2-3-1): Areola; Coufal, Zouma, Kehrer, Emerson; Soucek, Ward-Prowse; Bowen, Paqueta, Benrahma; Antonio
Subs: Alvarez, Ogbonna, Fornals, Johnson, Ings, Cornet, Cresswell

Inside info

Brighton

Star man Kaoru Mitoma
Goal threat Solly March
Penalty taker Joao Pedro
Card magnet Pervis Estupinan
Assist ace Kaoru Mitoma
Set-piece aerial threat Lewis Dunk

West Ham

Star man Lucas Paqueta
Goal threat Jarrod Bowen
Penalty taker Lucas Paqueta
Card magnet Emerson
Assist ace James Ward-Prowse
Set-piece aerial threat Tomas Soucek

Brighton v West Ham bet builder predictions

Over 2.5 goals
Brighton thumped West Ham 4-0 at the Amex in March and have beaten Luton and Wolves 4-1 in their first two games of the new season

Over 2.5 West Ham cards
There were 11 cards shown in Brighton's win at Wolves last weekend and West Ham had three players booked in the first half against Chelsea

Joao Pedro to score at any time
Brighton's summer signing scored a penalty on his debut against Luton, with one of his four attempts at goal, and should get a run of starts with Julio Enciso sidelined

Price guide 4-1

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