West Ham and Stoke may well bore Monday Night Football fans

Even before the start of the season a clash between West Ham and Stoke would have done little to get the pulses racing and the fact that the pair have two of the meanest defences in the Premier League suggests even more that a bore draw is a big possibility at Upton Park.

Backing the 0-0 draw may not be the most exciting bet for a televised game on Monday Night Football, but this could be the most lucrative option on offer for punters at 7/1.

There have only been eight goalless games thus far in the Premier League this season and five of these have involved either West Ham or Stoke.

Jussi Jaaskelainen and Asmir Begovic have been two of the toughest goalkeepers to breach this season, keeping ten clean sheets between them.

In fact, no team has shut out the opposition more than the five times that this has been achieved by West Ham and Stoke.

The big problem could well be that the pair both operate similar playing styles, getting the ball forward quickly for strikers to either flick on to midfield runners or lay off to get early balls into the box.

Both defences should also be well-versed in what to expect and it may well take a moment of individual brilliance or a goalmouth melee to break the deadlock.

For punters believing that there will be a goal, the 4/6 on offer for under 2.5 goals is tough to oppose.

Nine of Stoke’s last 11 league games have seen no more than two goals scored, while they have failed to trouble the scorers in three of their last four on the road.

There are some whispers that Rob Hall is in line to make his first Premier League start for West Ham and his pace out wide could prove an asset in this fixture in particular.

He is 10/1 to score first and 3/1 to net at any time in the 90 minutes.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.