Premier League Betting: Sunderland vs. West Ham United

West Ham United are after a heroic effort against Arsenal at the weekend, storming back from a two-goal deficit and denying the Gunners all three points to the delight of a packed house at Boleyn Ground. West Ham United thus boosted by the impressive comeback against Arsenal, a world-class outfit no less, hit the road full of optimism.

Sunderland, meanwhile, suffered a dip in form when they were defeated by promoted side Birmingham City at the weekend and eliminated from Carling League Cup action by Aston Villa. Sunderland will be looking to get back to their winning ways but they will be mindful of the Hammers high spirits ahead of their clash at the Stadium of Light.

Soccer Betting Line:

Sunderland AFC -110 -110 2½ O -105 U -115 Draw +230

West Ham United +½ -110 +300 2½ O -105 U -115 Draw +230

Match Time: 11:00 am Eastern Time Saturday October 31, 2009 Stadium of Light

Soccer Betting Analysis: Sunderland are enjoying a charmed stint in the top half of the table and for a while there, they even leapfrogged over clubs like Liverpool to a top five spot. Sunderland slipped to eighth place after losing 2:1 at Birmingham City but they are still on the better side of the Premier League table. And they would like to remain there. Good news for the Black Cats and their fans: they have been convincing at the Stadium of Light and are enjoying a four-match winning streak including a 1:0 victory over Liverpool. They have to be considered the favourites coming into this match, with every chance of taking all three points.

West Ham United are still second bottom in the league but they are after an impressive comeback against Arsenal. A heroic effort that many feel might be a watershed moment for Zola and his Hammers. Simply, West Ham are too good a side to be so deep in the relegation zone. If they can draw from last week’s inspired effort, however, they might not be there for much longer.

Many feel it is only a matter of time before the Hammers turn their fortunes around. They showed quality against Arsenal. But can they go one better here?

Soccer Betting Verdict: Sunderland have had a good season so far, including impressive home form. They are on a back-to-back losing run in all competitions that could threaten to spill into their upcoming fixture. Nevertheless, the bookies give them the favourite nod at -110. West Ham United are encouraged by their performance against Arsenal and they are eager to go one better and hand Sunderland only their second home defeat of the season. Seeing they have more quality than their position in the table would indicate they are a tempting bet at +300 to win outright. It almost seems like too good a bet to pass up under the circumstances methinks and taking the Over 2.5 at -105 completes a nice one-two punch.

Soccer Free Picks: West Ham +300 | Over 2.5 -105