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Richard Walker / 16 January 2010 Free Bet View Market

"Ashley Young has only got three league goals thus far but – along with the in-form James Milner – is always at the heart of Villa’s best attacking work. Back Young to score at [3.5]."

Wolves, Burnley, Portsmouth and...Aston Villa, ironically, are the only four teams West Ham United have beaten this season in the Premier League.

Without Martin O'Neill's side in the list, it is an unsurprising group of top-flight strugglers to have been conquered by a side sitting outside the relegation zone courtesy of goal difference alone.

Such is Gianfranco Zola's current dearth of available strikers to field for this game, he was forced into recalling young Freddie Sears from a loan spell at Crystal Palace.

Carlton Cole, Luis Boa Morte, Guillermo Franco and Zavon Hines are all injured. Elsewhere in the Hammers' squad, Daniel Gabbidon, Callum Davenport, Herita Ilunga and Kieron Dyer are also absent. They're hoping for Mark Noble and Scott Parker to return to the midfield, both from hamstring strains.

Not looking good, is it? Meanwhile, hosts Villa have only Wilfred Bouma as a notable absentee. And are coming off the back of two successive cup wins against Blackburn Rovers. The Villains also have four wins from their last six Premier League matches - having played three of the traditional 'Big Four' in that run.

So with all form - and indeed odds - pointing to a comfortable home success, we've got to be a little more canny about profit-making among our favourite Betfair markets. Villa are not prolific at home. Seventeen goals from 10 at Villa Park is by some way the fewest of the top seven in which they're firmly ensconced.

Some of their matches take a while to come to the boil. So, although I have them down as the game's winners, I'll be backing Draw/Villa in the HT/FT section at [4.9]. Villa/Villa looks mighty thin to me at [2.46], but then that's really just a reflection of West Ham's vulnerability I guess. Draw/Draw [6.2], West Ham/Villa [30.0] and Villa/Draw [19.5] are other options you might consider.

The match odds do not come as any great surprise, then. Villa are priced at [1.57], Draw [4.1] and West Ham [7.8]. I suppose a small saver on the stalemate might be a good cover to the Draw/Villa main stake - just in case it's not the outcome most Betfairians are expecting.

One-nil to the Villa, a [7.2] chance, is the correct score jolly. I'm still celebrating tipping Birmingham 1-1 Man Utd recently, so won't tempt fate twice by suggesting a definitive option in this market! Laying looks the thing to do to me, here. I'd be taking those backers looking to support any score involving a West Ham goal, quite frankly. Laying 1-1 to a [9.2] liability looks a pretty low-risk option to me.

I don't see this being a goal-fest by any means, however remain unconvinced there wouldn't be at least three if Villa get going after half-time. Lay Over 3.5 goals to [3.95] is my best assessment of what look like somewhat treacherous goals sections. The most liquid of all - 2.5 goals - sees Overs a [2.04] chance and Unders [1.94] to back.

Yet while the number of goals may be in doubt, there's no need to be so circumspect about those who'll be scoring them, if you have a particular fancy.

Gabby Agbonlahor has eight Premier League strikes to his name and, therefore, leads the way in both the first goalscorer [5.3] and to score [2.02] sections. John Carew [6.0] and [2.2] respectively will also appeal to many, however I'll divert ever so slightly to the pair's regular supply line.

Ashley Young is my man for this game. A demon at free-kicks, he also thinks nothing of cracking in long-rangers or arriving unchecked at the far post. Granted, he's only got three league goals thus far but - along with the in-form James Milner - is always at the heart of Villa's best attacking work. Back Young to score at [3.5]. If you'd rather side with the form man, Milner's the same price and both are around the [8.5] mark to notch the first goal.

As the Hammers' only recognised senior attacking body, Alessandro Diamanti might prove more popular than normal. He'll be all over their free-kicks and penalties so, if the east London strain of claret & blue is for you, he's around [10.5] to notch first. The returning Sears is at [14.5]. I feel you'd need to be an Irons' fan to really get behind their boys.

Villa for me - but in their occasionally unconvincing style.