Palace are value not to be relegated this season

Bottom of the table Crystal Palace play host to West Ham at Selhurst Park on Tuesday evening (20:00, BT SPORT) in an important battle at the bottom of the table.

Bookmakers make West Ham the favourites for the game at odds of 13/8 (WINNER) to take all three points as they look to beat build on their 3-0 victory over Fulham on Saturday. The truth is that Fulham were awful and did not register a shot at the keeper in this match. West Ham will face a much tougher test against Crystal Palace. The Eagles lost 1-0 at Norwich on Saturday though played well in spells of the second half without possesing a cutting edge up front. Tony Pulis has side well disciplined and they will give West Ham a real game of it on Tuesday night in a tie that is not one for the neutrals.

Crystal Palace held Everton at their own ground last time out and will fancy their chances against a West Ham side whose only win away from home this season came against Tottenham. A Palace victory is priced at 2/1 (TOTESPORT/BETVICTOR) while the draw which has been the result in three of the last six meetings between the pair (including each of the last two) is available at 23/10 (SKYBET/BETVICTOR). It will be interesting to see what kind of team Sam Allardyce sends out as all his subs were invovled in key moments in the game with Fulham. Carlton Cole came off the bench to grab a goal and may be in line for a start against Fulham and he is 11/4 (CORAL) to net at anytime while Kevin Nolan is also an 11/4 (CORAL/william hill) chance. For Palace Cameron Jerome looked lively at Norwich though his finishing is always his biggest problem. He is 7/2 (BWIN) to get among the goals at anytime and this looks a decent price as he can use his pace to get behind a somewhat slow West Ham front line.

Another bet I like the look of in this game is Jonathan Williams in the assist market. It had not been priced up at the time of writing but the Palace man has a great set-piece on him which is key in a Tony Pulis side. The Welsh player came off the bench against Norwich and could be handed a start against West Ham as he gives more natural width than Barry Bannan.

This game is likely to be a low scorer between two teams and bookmakers have reacted to this by making 1-1 the highest in the correct score market at 6/1 (BETVICTOR). Palace have won three of the last eight meetings 1-0 and they are 8/1 (BETVICTOR/ladbrokes) to win 1-0 while a West Ham 1-0 win is 15/2 (BETVICTOR) with the same firm going 0-0 at 9/1.

These two sides are among those deep in trouble at the bottom with the bookmakers odds suggesting eight sides are in danger of filling the three relegation slots. Palace are as short as 1/5 (william hill) though I would suggest that is much too short with some of the poor teams down the bottom. Sunderland are 5/6 (william hill), Fulham are 10/11 (GENERAL), Hull 11/4 (bet365/paddy Power), Cardiff 3/1 (betfred/BETVICTOR), Norwich 3/1 (bet365/paddy Power/STAN JAMES), Stoke 11/2 (paddy Power) and West Ham are 8/1 (BETVICTOR). I think Palace have to be worth an interest at 6/1 (BETVICTOR/ladbrokes) to stay up. In Tony Pulis they have a manager who has never been relegated and they have a run of winnable home games ahead of them. Palace are a bad side then again so are the seven others mentioned and the 7/1 is certainly worth an interest on them to stay up.

BEST OF THE BETS

GOLD: Palace to not be relegated, 7/1 (BETVICTOR)
SILVER: Cameron Jerome to score anytime v West Ham, 7/2 (BWIN)
BRONZE: Jonathan Williams First Assist, Anytime Assist (Best available prices)

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03/12/2013     © Frixo 2026