Brighton heads into its Premier League Matchday 3 game vs. West Ham at the top of the standings. Through its first two games – victories over Wolves and Luton -- Brighton has scored eight goals, while allowing only two for a plus-6 goal differential and six standings points.

It has been a hot start for Brighton in league play, but both victories came against teams expected to struggle this year. Newly-promoted Luton has no previous Premier League experience, while Wolves are going through another managerial change.

West Ham, meanwhile, is adapting to life after Declan Rice and took four points out of its first two games of the season, including an impressive 3-1 win over Chelsea last weekend.

Let's take a closer look at the Brighton vs. West Ham matchup while offering some predictions for this Premier League game.

Brighton vs. West Ham Odds & Spread – Premier League Betting Lines 8/26

Moneyline: Brighton -211 | Draw +375 | West Ham +450
1st Goal: Brighton -236 | No Goal +1200 | West Ham +210
Both teams to score: Yes -143, No +110
Draw No Bet:  Brighton -550 | West Ham +333
Double Chance:  Brighton or Draw -750 | Brighton or West Ham or -500 | Draw or West Ham +160
Goals:
Total Goals: 1.5: Over -211 | Under +150
Total Goals: 2.5: Over +140 | Under -200
Total Goals: 3.5: Over +350 | Under -600
Total Goals: 4.5: Over +800 | Under -3300

Brighton vs. West Ham Preview

Date: Saturday, Aug. 26
Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
TV channel: NBC
Live stream: Fubo TV

Brighton dominated Wolves last weekend, taking advantage of a poorly organized defense as it counterattacked with pace and purpose.

Kaoru Mitoma was outstanding, scoring Brighton’s first goal and assisting on the second with a neat pull-back to Pervis Estupinan, who fired the ball home from close range. Playing on the left wing, Mitoma gives Brighton a great attacking option. His skill in dribbling past defenders and creating space leads to goal-scoring opportunities. 

The 26-year-old Japanese winger was excellent for Brighton last year, and the team will be happy they held on to him if he continues to turn in such performances.

Brighton's fast-paced build-up play overwhelmed Wolves throughout the game. Both the third and fourth goals resulted from counterattacks that Solly March easily tapped in. West Ham will need to be aware of Brighton’s game plan and, based on its defensive struggles against Chelsea's lively attack on Matchday 2, should look to solidify its defense.

The Hammers were able to beat Chelsea 3-1, but they faced moments of uncertainty at the back. A lunging tackle on Raheem Sterling gave Chelsea a penalty kick, which Alphonse Areola brilliantly saved. Later in the game, Nayef Aguerd went flying into a tackle and ended up being ejected with a second yellow card. 

West Ham had some letups against Chelsea, but Areola was great in goal and kept the opposition at bay with a couple of very important saves. The Chelsea Blues created 17 chances, five more than West Ham, and maintained a whopping 76 percent of the game’s possession.

David Moyes' Hammers were happy to play without the ball and took their chances when opportunities arose. James Ward Prowse should help to create chances from midfield, both from open play and with his dangerous set-piece delivery. That will be crucial for West Ham this season since the team does not have a dominant striker on its roster.

Although West Ham is coming off an upset of Chelsea, Brighton will enter this match as the heavy soccer betting favorite because it looks like one of the Premier League’s most impressive teams early in the season. 

Brighton vs. West Ham Lineups and Injuries

West Ham's Thilo Kehrer had a minor back problem but is getting better and should play against Brighton this weekend. He missed the team’s last game against Chelsea, but will be back at practice this week for Saturday's match. That’s good news for David Moyes, since Nayef Aguerd won't be able to play due to suspension.

Brighton's Tariq Lamptey also might play. He suffered a knee injury against West Ham last season, but has been practicing with the first team and has sped up his timetable for a return. This would be his first match since he got hurt. 

Brighton vs. West Ham Predictions and Pick

Total Goals

By defending in numbers, West Ham was able to frustrate Chelsea last Sunday. Despite having only 24 percent of the possession, the Hammers stood tall and made themselves hard to beat – conceding just one goal in the process. 

That lone Chelsea goal required a display of individual brilliance by Camey Chukwuemeka, who cut in from the left-hand side. David Moyes does not allow his team to give up easy chances, because while Chelsea had 17 shots on goal, only four were on target, and one was a penalty.

Although Brighton looks incredibly dangerous on the counterattack, West Ham is unlikely to pile forward like Wolves did -- meaning Brighton will need to take the initiative and force the issue. This should therefore be a closely fought contest in which a well-executed header off a corner kick or set piece could make all the difference. I don't anticipate a high-scoring game, so I'm confident in placing a bet on the under 2.5 goals line for this Premier League match as the first of my free soccer picks.

The Pick: Under 2.5 Goals Scored (+150)

Total Corners

Brighton has scored four times in each of its first two games, but the team does not  force many corners because of its defined style of play. This is not a set piece-based team. It prefers to create chances with quick passes and threaten by having its wide players drive into the box. 

West Ham might be a little more dependent on a set piece, but generating them won’t be easy this season without much creativity going forward. I like the under on the 10.5 corners for this game. Brighton has managed just three in each of its games despite piling on the pressure, and West Ham is slightly lacking in the “wow” factor up front. 

The Pick: Under 10.5 Corners (-110)

Anytime Goalscorer

To close out these Premier League prop bets today -- and for the last of my Premier League predictions for this weekend – let’s delve into the anytime goalscorer category.

Danny Welbeck has been a big factor up front for Brighton so far this season -- helping to feed both Solly March and Kaoru Mitoma on the attack. In what could be a scrappy, low-scoring affair with West Ham, a tap-in from inside the box could be the difference. That’s the kind of play Welbeck can provide.

The veteran isn’t a big-time goalscorer, so if you want to do just a two-piece parlay with the goals and corners, you might be taking a significantly lower risk with your bet. Nevertheless, I like Welbeck here, and his goal could be the game’s only one. 

The Pick: Danny Welbeck to score anytime (+130)

Best English Premier League Same Game Parlay Picks for Brighton vs West Ham - Matchday 3

Total Goals

Leg-1 SGP Pick: Under 2.5 Goals Scored (+150)

Total Corners

Leg-2 SGP Pick: Total Corners Under 10.5 (-110)

Anytime Goalscorer

Leg-3 SGP Pick: Danny Welbeck to Score Anytime - Yes (+130)

Odds are subject to change*

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