Leicester City v West Ham United: Prediction, Tips and Odds

The Leicester City hierarchy were clearly very impressed with Ruud van Nistelrooy’s four matches as interim boss of Manchester United, with the two games against the Foxes in that run helping to earn him the vacant managerial position at the King Power Stadium. 

Van Nistelrooy led the Red Devils to a 5-2 League Cup win over Leicester before beating the same opponents 3-0 in the Premier League, with those performances leading the Foxes’ board to believe he is the man to keep them in the division. 

The Foxes are sat 16th heading into this round of fixtures but they are just one point clear of the relegation zone and will be desperate to beat West Ham on Tuesday. 

Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui will be looking for a positive reaction from his own side after a heavy defeat to Arsenal on Saturday, though, and an exciting encounter may unfold at the King Power. 

Leicester City v West Ham United betting tips and predictions

Over 2.5 goals - 4/6

West Ham were handsomely beaten 5-2 by Arsenal on Saturday and that result compounded all the issues at the club in a matter of moments, as the Hammers found themselves 4-0 down after just 36 minutes. 

Lopetegui has struggled to find consistency with his new side and a leaky defence is proving to be a real issue, with West Ham managing just two clean sheets in their last 12 games and shipping 13 goals in their last six matches.

Those statistics and another poor defensive display from the Hammers on Saturday will give Van Nistelrooy hope of a dream start on Tuesday, but the Dutchman will need to fix the issues with his own backline if that is to actually materialise. 

The Dutch legend watched on as the Foxes were thrashed 4-1 by Brentford on Saturday, a result which means that now only Wolves have conceded more than Leicester’s 27 goals in the Premier League this season. 

With two managers in the dugout who are each desperate to win over their fans, and a pair of leaky defences on the pitch, the goals look set to flow at the King Power. 

Over 2.5 goals has been a winning bet in eight of the last nine meetings between this pair, as well as in four of Leicester’s last six home games and two of the Hammers' last three away, and that same selection looks worthy of a punt again.

Tomas Soucek anytime goalscorer - 5/1

With the goals set to flow at the King Power, there are plenty of players who appeal as a scorer selection. 

Veteran forward Jamie Vardy offers an obvious threat for the hosts, as does the Foxes' other top goalscorer in the league, Facundo Buonanotte, while the returning Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio could cause a leaky Leicester defence some issues. 

However, at a big price, it could pay to have a punt on Tomas Soucek to find the net instead, as the Czech midfielder has been key to practically all of the away success West Ham have had this term. 

Soucek netted in the Hammers’ two road wins at Newcastle and Crystal Palace while he also bagged the equaliser in a draw at Brentford, who have won all of their other league home matches this term. 

He has taken four shots in West Ham’s last two matches and with those coming against Newcastle and Arsenal, he could find things even easier against Leicester, who allowed Brentford midfielder Mikkel Damsgaard to rack up four shots on Saturday. 

Soucek is a threat arriving late into the box while his aerial prowess needs no introduction, making 5/1 a big price for him to find the net in a King Power goalfest.

Emerson Palmieri to be booked - 10/3

A stunning free-kick earned Emerson Palmieri plenty of plaudits against Arsenal, but it did somewhat distract from his struggles defensively against Bukayo Saka. 

He was caught out on a number of occasions as Saka ran the show and was booked after a strong challenge on Jurrien Timber. 

That marked the Italian’s fourth booking in his last 11 games, and Leicester may look to target the defender - who is walking a suspension tightrope - on Tuesday.

Whether it is Buonanotte, Jordan Ayew or Bobby De Cordova-Reid who starts on the right for the Foxes should not matter as any of that trio, combined with the overlapping runs of James Justin, should cause issues for Emerson, who looks a big price for a booking. 

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Leicester City v West Ham United odds

Leicester City - 9/5
Draw - 23/10
West Ham United - 6/4

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.