West Ham United will be hoping the arrival of Graham Potter will help fire them up the table but the manager faces a tricky first Premier League game as in-form Fulham come calling for a London derby.
The Hammers have turned to former Chelsea and Brighton boss Potter after sacking Julen Lopetegui just six months into the Spaniard's reign.
The former Spain and Real Madrid boss was supposed to usher in a more adventurous style of play to predecessor David Moyes but genuine thrills were as thin on the ground as impressive victories.
A 4-1 loss at Manchester City, which saw two bets land for me, proved to be the final straw and Potter will now try to lift a team that languishes in 14th place in the Premier League despite a summer of big spending.
Fulham are enjoying a much more successful season and are a picture of stability, with manager Marco Silva now almost four years into his reign. They sit in ninth place and are on an impressive nine-game run without defeat.
But five of their last six league games have ended in draws so Silva will be looking to turn stalemates into wins as he tries to keep the Cottagers flying high.
How the bookies view it: Potter's no wizard
Teams often get a lift when there's a change of management but BoyleSport make West Ham United their outsiders for this one at 15/8. Fulham are 11/8 favourites and another draw for the Cottagers pays 23/10.
Recent head to head: Fulham out to build on last term
The last 11 meetings have produced six Hammers victories, three Fulham wins and two draws. But it's the Cottagers who have held the upper hand of late, winning both games last season before a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage earlier in this campaign.
Players to watch: Ings for the kill
West Ham are short up front after Niclas Fullkrug was crocked in the FA Cup loss to Aston Villa, joining Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen on the sidelines. That means Danny Ings should start up top and he's 12/5 for anytime scorer.
Alex Iwobi has arguably been Fulham's most impressive player this season, chipping in with plenty of goals and assists from midfield. The Nigerian international is 4/1 at Bet365 for a goal but an assist might be more likely at the same price.
Probable line-ups
Fullkrug's injury was a blow in that FA Cup tie but keeper Lukas Fabianski returned from injury. Defenders Emerson Palmieri and Jean-Clair Todibo are doubts after missing out on Friday night.
Fulham are set to be without Kenny Tete, Sander Berge and Reiss Nelson, while Harrison Reed is an injury doubt.
West Ham United: Fabianski, Wan Bissaka, Coufal, Mavropanos, Killman, Paqueta, Soucek, Soler, Kudus, Summerville, Ings.
Fulham: Leno, Bassey, Anderson, Castagne, Robinson, Lukic, Pereira, Smith-Rowe, Iwobi, Wilson, Jimenez.
Anything else catch the eye?
With so many of Fulham's recent games ending in draws, I'm expecting this match to be a tight one. The half-time draw appeals at 23/20 with BoyleSports while backing most goals to come after the break pays 20/21 with the same firm.
The Hammers should get a lift from a new boss coming in so I also like the 10/11 on offer for them to win either half.
When these sides faced off earlier in the season we only saw five corners and that makes under 9.5 corners appealing at 13/8 with BoyleSports.
This English Premier League match between West Ham United and Fulham will be played on Jan 14, 2025 and kick off at 19:30. Check below for our tipsters best West Ham United vs Fulham prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
West Ham United vs Fulham Betting Tips & Predictions
Further Reading
- Nottingham Forest vs Liverpool Prediction and Betting Tips
- Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Nottingham Forest Prediction and Betting Tips
- Fulham vs Ipswich Town Prediction and Betting Tips
- Liverpool vs Manchester United Prediction and Betting Tips
- Brighton and Hove Albion vs Arsenal Prediction and Betting Tips
In December 2020 we sadly 
