Premier League Matchday 33: West Ham vs. Crystal Palace

Start Time: 6:30 a.m. CST on April 29, 2023

Location: Selhurst Park, London, England

FanDuel Betting Odds: West Ham +180; Draw +210; Crystal Palace +170

West Ham (15th in the Premier League); Manager: David Moyes

Recent Results: 1-2 loss vs. Liverpool (Premier League); 4-0 win vs. Bournemouth (Premier League); 4-1 win vs. K.A.A. Gent (Europa Conference League).

Crystal Palace (12th in the Premier League); Manager: Roy Hodgson

Recent Results: 0-2 loss vs. Wolves (Premier League); 0-0 draw vs. Everton (Premier League); 2-0 win vs. Southampton (Premier League).

FotMob Projected Lineups:

West Ham suffered a disappointing loss to Liverpool on Wednesday, but they'll look to bounce back this weekend in South London against Roy Hodgson's Crystal Palace. Heading into this fixture, the Hammers are 14th in the Premier League, five points above the relegation zone.

To be honest there's not much you can say about Wednesday's result. I'm excited to see this group heading in the right direction, and I thought our team performance was strong against the Reds. The standouts were Paqueta and Rice once again.

Saturday's opponents have gone through a mini-resurgence of their own. Roy Hodgson took over at Crystal Palace for a second time back in March. The 75-year-old replaced Patrick Vieira, who went 13 matches without a win and was three points off the relegation zone. Hodgson came in and had immediate success, winning 2-1 against Leicester, 5-1 versus Leeds and 2-0 against Southampton in his first three matches.

Michael Olise and (former West Ham transfer target) Eberechi Eze have been on fire for the Eagles, and will certainly cause problems for the Hammers' fullbacks. Olise has created the most big chances for Palace this season (9).

Although their unbeaten run under Hodgson ended against Wolves on Tuesday, the English manager has virtually completed the job of keeping Palace in the Premier League.

The Hammers have won five of their last eight matches at Selhurst Park, dating back to 2014. The reverse fixture in November at the London Stadium saw the Hammers lose on a heart-breaking last-minute goal from Olise.

Although I'm scared of the Eagles going forward, their midfield is miles below the standard of Rice and Paqueta. Doucoure and Schlupp have both had decent seasons for Palace, but there are questions to be asked about their defensive capabilities.

Crystal Palace's defense has been on-par with ours this season, so I'll be curious to see if Ings or Antonio have any luck finding the back off the net. 30-year-old keeper Sam Johnstone is between the sticks for the Eagles, and he's done well since replacing Vicente Guaita earlier this month.

Between the Dimitri Payet free kick and the Andy Carroll bicycle kick, this fixture always has moments of flair, and I think there will be more on Saturday. But let's hope the Hammers end up on the right side of it when the dust settles.

Premier League Matchday 33 Prediction: West Ham 2 Crystal Palace 1

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