Seeley’s Selections – West Ham v Crystal Palace

A bumper weekend of domestic action starts on Saturday with the first live match of a hectic weekend of sporting action when West Ham host Crystal Palace in a Premier League London derby.

The Hammers are BoyleSports 21/20 favourites to win this and without a win in their last five games that does look on the short side, however, four of those matches have been on the road and when they play at the Boleyn Ground they are a very different side.

Big Sam Allardyce’s side are unbeaten at home in 2015 and have only lost once in their last 12 matches, but I still can’t be tempted by those short odds.

Last weekend the threw a comfortable 2-0 lead away at Tottenham to draw 2-2 in a demoralising draw and that comes on the back of a 4-0 pasting at West Brom. That’s not the kind of form you want from a 21/20 chance.

In saying that though, I won’t be backing the visitors at BoyleSports 13/5 in hurry either.
Alan Pardew has had great return to Selhurst Park as a manager, but he arrives in this match in the middle of a mini-blip after three straight defeats and only one win from their last five.

Unlike West Ham though, Palace under Pardew are better on the road and since his return, the “Silver Fox” has played four and won four away from South East London.

With good cases to made for and against a win for either side, I could really see both side cancelling each other out and I’m sitting firmly on the fence in this one and taking the draw at BoyleSports 23/10.

The Hammers have become the Premier League draw specialists in recent weeks after seven stalemates in their last 11 games and quietly I think both managers would be happy with a point in this one.

In those last 11 West Ham matches, four of them have ended in 1-1 draws and with five of the last six Palace games seeing both teams scoring, that would be a nice bigger price alternative at 11/2 with BoyleSports if you don’t want to play on the draw.

Andy Carroll is missing for the remainder of the season , which is a blow Kevin Nolan because if Carroll doesn’t start it usually means Nolan doesn’t either.

This means that midfield general Mark Noble will be handed the captains armband, penalty duties and free-kicks and at 10/1 with BoyleSports to score the first goal in what I’m sure will be a feisty battle in the East End, he’s the man I’m siding with to get the opener.

REMEMBER the Premier League is back this weekend which means so is “Double Bubble” so BoyleSports will be doubling your winning first goalscoring selection if your players nets inside the first 20 minutes in the Premier League this weekend.

Seeley’s Selections
Draw @ 23/10
Correct Score 1-1 @ 11/2
Mark Noble First Goalscorer @ 10/1

B Lucky
Nigel