West Ham United won their first London derby of the season on the road at Crystal Palace and will be hoping that's an omen as they head to Fulham for an intriguing Premier League clash.
The Hammers have yet to hit top gear under new boss Julen Lopetegui, losing both their home games in the league to Aston Villa and Manchester City. But they did come out on top away from home at Selhurst Park and if they can grab another three points at Fulham then the outlook will be a lot rosier.
After such a busy summer in the transfer market it was always going to take time for Lopetegui's side to find their feet and they face a tough game against a Cottagers team who have made a decent start in the Premier League.
Marco Silva has a settled squad, despite losing star midfielder Joao Palhinha to Bayern Munich, and the addition of Emile Smith-Rowe from Arsenal has given them more creativity.
With a win, a draw and a defeat from their three games so far, it has been a mixed bag from Silva's side but if they hit top form they can cause West Ham plenty of problems.
How the bookies view it: Fulham narrow favourites
This is a tough one to call and it's reflected in the odds, with Fulham marginally favourites at 7/5. West Ham United's price is 7/4 and the draw will be popular with punters at 23/10.
Recent head to head: Cottagers rout for a repeat
It was Fulham who had the edge last season as they won both fixtures, including a 5-0 romp at Craven Cottage that ruined a few bets for our man Gabriel. But West Ham have actually held the upper hand in this fixture in recent years, winning five of the last 10 meetings and losing just three.
Players to watch: Traore getting back in the groove
Silva is the latest manager trying to unlock the vast potential inside the enigmatic Adama Traore. The initial signs are good as the Spanish winger has impressed so far this season and he netted in their last outing at Ipswich. Traore is a hefty 16/5 for anytime scorer at Betfred and 6/4 with Bet635 to either score or assist.
Jarrod Bowen looks like being West Ham's most reliable source of goals again this season and has two goals from two outings so far. The England forward is 2/1 for anytime scorer here.
Probable line-ups
Nicklas Fullkrug is a doubt for West Ham after injury ruled him out of Germany's 2-2 draw with the Dutch on Tuesday night. Keeper Alphonse Areola could also miss out after going off at half-time in the last game before the international break. New signing Sander Berge could make his first Premier League start for Fulham after coming off the bench at Ipswich.
Fulham: Leno, Tete, Bassey, Diop, Robinson, Pereira, Berge, Smith-Rowe, Muniz, Traore, Iwobi.
West Ham United: Fabianski, Mavropanos, M Kilman, Wan-Bissaka, Emerson, L Paqueta, Kudus, Alvarez, Soucek, Antonio, Bowen.
Anything else catch the eye?
These sides are pretty well-matched so I'm expecting it to be a tight game. The half-time draw appeals at 6/5 with Betfred while backing either team to win by a one-goal margin pays 11/8 at McBookie.
Both teams have flying wingers and that could lead to the corner count racking up. Over 10.5 corners pays 19/20 at Unibet who also quote the same price for over 4.5 West Ham flag kicks.
For a longer odds option, Fulham stopper Calvin Bassey could be worth a punt at 4/1 with Betfred to pick up a card, having been booked in one of his three games so far.
This English Premier League match between Fulham and West Ham United will be played on Sep 14, 2024 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Fulham vs West Ham United prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
