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Bayer Leverkusen vs West Ham predictions: Europa League tips and odds
Gareth Freeman’s Bayer Leverkusen vs West Ham betting tips include 6/5, 27/20 and 16/1-priced selections, with Schick to impress
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Our betting expert has three Bayer Leverkusen vs West Ham United tips for Thursday night’s Europa League quarter-final first leg at BayArena (8pm kick-off). Scroll down for the analysis behind his selections.
Bayer Leverkusen vs West Ham betting tips
- Bayer Leverkusen to win (starts 0-1) @ 6/5 with BetMGM
- Patrik Schick to score anytime @ 27/20 with BetMGM
- Tomas Soucek to be booked, Michail Antonio to have over 0.5 shots on target and Patrik Schick over 1.5 shots on target @ 16/1 with BetMGM
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Hosts too hot for Hammers
Bayer Leverkusen have the Bundesliga title all but wrapped up as they hold a 16-point lead over Bayern Munich and Stuttgart with just 18 points left to play for.
That means boss Xabi Alonso can pick his best XI to face the Hammers. As a result, they may be able to seize a significant opening advantage in this two-leg tie by winning by two or more goals.
Bayer have been incredible at home this season and are yet to be beaten in front of their own fans. Only Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Monchengladbach have managed to draw with them at the BayArena in the Bundesliga.
Alonso’s side have won 12 of their past 13 on home soil and eight of those victories have come by at least two goals. They have also been devastating at the BayArena in this competition, scoring 17 times in just four games on their own patch.
West Ham lost 1-0 at Bundesliga outfit Freiburg in the previous round and Leverkusen are clearly a level above their domestic league rivals, so backing the hosts to cover a -1 handicap looks a solid option here.
Bayer Leverkusen vs West Ham tip 1: Bayer Leverkusen to win (starts 0-1) @ 6/5 with BetMGM
Schick can fill Hlozek void
Bayer will be without Adam Hlozek after he was injured at Union Berlin last Saturday, with Patrik Schick expected to start in his absence on Thursday.
The Czech star has played a limited role this term after missing the start of the campaign with injury, but he has found a bit of form of late.
Schick has four goals in his past three games for Leverkusen and was the hero in the previous round with two goals in a comeback win over Azerbaijani outfit Qarabag.
The 28-year-old has five goals in five appearances in the Europa League this season, despite playing just 155 minutes in total. That means Schick averages a goal every 31 minutes in this competition – so he looks excellent value to add to his haul against the Hammers.
Bayer Leverkusen vs West Ham tip 2: Patrik Schick to score anytime @ 27/20 with BetMGM
Soucek a card contender in bet builder
The biggest price selection in this three-part bet builder is a card for West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek.
The Czech is yet to be booked in the Europa League, but he has picked up six cautions in 31 Premier League games this season and four of those have come in away matches.
Soucek averages 1.1 fouls per game in this competition and has committed at least two in three of his past four Europa League appearances – committing six across the two legs with Freiburg in the previous round.
Two fouls may be enough for a visiting player to go into the book at the BayArena, so Soucek could well receive a card.
The Hammers will be without Jarrod Bowen after he picked up a back injury at Wolves, so Michail Antonio may have a bit more attacking responsibility.
Antonio averages exactly one shot per game across all competitions for West Ham and he gets 60 per cent of his attempts on target in this competition, so he should be able to at least test the home keeper.
A Schick goal looks like a good play as a single, but for a bit more value in this builder back the Bayer forward to register two attempts on goal. He is averaging 2.0 shots per game in the Europa League, getting half of those on target, despite his limited minutes.
With a bigger role to play on Thursday night, he should be able to force a few saves at the very least.
Bayer Leverkusen vs West Ham tip 3: Tomas Soucek to be booked, Michail Antonio to have over 0.5 shots on target and Patrik Schick over 1.5 shots on target @ 16/1 with BetMGM
Bayer Leverkusen vs West Ham odds
Odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change.
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