West Ham vs Leicester City Odds & Prediction – EPL Round 2
- It is West Ham vs Leicester in the final game of round 2 of the new EPL season on Monday, August 23 at 3:00 pm EST
- Both teams started the season with good wins and both have Champions League aspirations
- We preview the game, look at the odds, and offer some picks below
The EPL Round 2 concludes with West Ham United vs Leicester City at the London Stadium on Monday, August 23, KO 3:00 pm. Both teams made winning starts to the campaign with West Ham’s week 1 success coming away at Newcastle, with a thrilling 4-2 win, while Leicester beat Wolves 1-0 at home.
We list the odds, preview West Ham United vs Leicester City, and offer below the best picks for this EPL clash.
West Ham United vs Leicester City Odds
| Matchup | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brentford vs Arsenal | WHU -0.5 (+155) | LEI +0.5 (-175) | WHU +150 | DRAW +250 | LEI +180 | Ov 2.5 (-125) | Un 2.5 (+100) |
Odds as of August 23 at DraftKings
Fine Start for West Ham
West Ham’s win at Newcastle was the perfect start to the new season but was achieved the hard way with the Hammers having to come back from a 2-1 halftime deficit. It was the Toon’s Callum Wilson who gave the home side the lead after just five minutes and while Aaron Cresswell pulled West Ham level, a Jacob Murphy header restored Newcastle’s lead before the interval.
Time for some potato salad I think, lads! 🥔🥗 pic.twitter.com/KNwAHMn8H4
— West Ham United (@WestHam) August 15, 2021
The second half was West Ham’s, however, and with striker Michail Antonio in unstoppable form, three unanswered goals – from Said Benrahma, Antonio himself, and Tomas Soucek – gave the Hammers a well-deserved win.
The London Stadium = The Hammers’ Fortress
The Hammers will be hoping to build on their success of last season, where they finished sixth and earned a place in this season’s Europa League. For most of the campaign, they were in the top four and a Champions League place looked on the cards but three defeats in their last seven games saw them slip to sixth. Even so, it was a campaign to be proud of and manager David Moyes will be expecting more of the same.
We can't wait to feel your support tonight at a packed out London Stadium! 😍#WHULEI pic.twitter.com/X2HWluugHL
— West Ham United (@WestHam) August 23, 2021
The London Stadium was home sweet home for the Hammers last season with 10 wins from their 19 games – a record second only to champions, Man City – and in order to at least match last season’s performance, it will need to be a fortress yet again. A win against a talented Leicester side would be the perfect start.
West Ham United vs Leicester City Head-to-Head Stats
| D-W-D-W-W-W | Pre-season Form | D-L-D-W-W |
| 4-2 v Newcastle (a) | First Game | 1-0 vs Wolves (h) |
| 6th | EPL Finish in 2020-21 | 5th |
| 65 | Points | 66 |
| 62 | Goals Scored | 68 |
| 47 | Goals Conceded | 50 |
Vardy Still the Main Man
It was left to veteran striker Vardy to seal the points in the Foxes opener against Wolves. Despite being 34 years old, Vardy shows no sign of slowing up and is still comfortably fighting off the challengers for his place in the Leicester team, Patson Daka and Kelechi Iheanacho. His winning goal against Wolves was him at his very best, as he cleverly guided in a Ricardo Pereira cross with his left foot.
A winning start to 2021/22 ✅#MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/cLWAqeWFyj
— Leicester City (@LCFC) August 16, 2021
It has been a great start to the season for Leicester, who one week earlier beat Manchester City 1-0 in the Community Shield – the traditional curtain-raiser to the English season where the EPL champions play the winners of the FA Cup.
Foxes Again in Champions League Hunt?
The Foxes’ fans have dreamt of Champions League soccer for the last two seasons, both of which – like West Ham in 2020-21 – were spent mostly in the PL’s top four but were both spoilt by disappointing ends to the season. Manager Brendan Rodgers will be hoping his team can build on their promising start but, this time around, maintain their performance levels for the full 38 games.
Rodgers will also be hoping the Foxes can replicate their outstanding away form of last season- they won 11 of their 19 games and lost just three – while at the same time improving their form at the King Power Stadium. One of their rare away defeats last season did, in fact, come at the London Stadium when, in the closing weeks of the campaign, the Hammers eventually won 3-2 after leading 3-0.
𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗖𝗛𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗔𝗚𝗘𝗥 👔
▪️ Controlled game against Wolves
▪️ The Irons present a great challenge
▪️ Optimistic of Barnes' future
▪️ Impressed with Vardy's all-round performanceRead Brendan Rodgers' in-depth #WhuLei preview ⤵️
— Leicester City (@LCFC) August 23, 2021
West Ham United vs Leicester City Best Bet
While the narrative in the English press will focus on Antonio and Vardy, these are in fact two really good, well-balanced teams who are both well placed to again challenge the big four for the Champions League places. They are also very well matched.
A good start to the campaign is a must for both but it is well worth noting that West Ham only conceded 22 goals at home last season while Leicester conceded an even-more-miserly 20 on their travels. So, for me, while some are predicting a goal-fest, I can see value here in a low-scoring draw.
Pick: West Ham and Leicester to draw (+250) / Under 2.5 goals (+100)
Once just a sports fanatic, fan-turned-writer Gary Gowers has been featured on European television and radio networks to discuss several professional football clubs. His work can be found in an assortment of publications like The Metro, MyFootballWriter.com, and BBC Radio Norfolk.
