West Ham United will take to the London Stadium field for the final time this season when they face Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.
It has been a season to forget for the Hammers as they head towards a lower half finish in this season’s top-flight.
That being said, the capital club did claim a confidence-boosting 2-0 win against Manchester United at Old Trafford last Sunday, snapping an eight-game winless run in the process.
Graham Potter will be hoping that his side can use that victory as a springboard for further success when Nottingham Forest come to town this weekend.
The Tricky Trees’ hopes of stamping their ticket to next season’s Champions League took a big hit when being held to a 2-2 draw by East Midlands rivals Leicester last time out.
That stalemate saw Nuno Espirito Santo’s side drop down to seventh place in the standings, though they are only three points behind third-placed Newcastle heading into the final two rounds of Premier League action.
How the bookies view it: Forest marginal favourites
The bookmakers are struggling to separate the pair, with Nottingham Forest priced up as narrow 8/5 favourites on Boylesports.
West Ham are slight outsiders at 13/8 with the same firm, while a share of the London Stadium spoils is trading at 23/10 (Boylesports).
Head to head: Home comforts could be key
Home wins have been a recurring theme in this fixture since Nottingham Forest returned to the Premier League back in 2022, including this season’s reverse fixture which saw the Tricky Trees triumph 3-0.
Players to watch: Wood good value
I successfully backed Chris Wood to score against Leicester last Sunday and the Nottingham Forest forward looks well worth supporting again this weekend at 7/5 on Boylesports.
Jarrod Bowen was once again the shining light for West Ham last weekend, netting his 11th Premier League goal of the season. The Hammers skipper likes to try his luck in front of goal, making him worthy of consideration to hit the target at least twice here at 7/4 (Bet 365).
Predicted line-ups
Only long-term absentees Crysencio Summerville and Michail Antonio are expected to be missing for West Ham this weekend.
Influential duo Callum Hudson-Odoi and Murillo are both major doubts for Nottingham Forest, while striker Taiwo Awoniyi will definitely miss out after undergoing surgery for a serious abdominal injury.
West Ham: Areola; Cresswell, Kilman, Todibo; Coufal, Soucek, Ward-Prowse, Wan-Bissaka; Paqueta; Bowen, Kudus
Nottingham Forest: Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams; Yates, Anderson; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Dominguez; Wood
Anything else catch the eye?
A Bet Builder double consisting of both teams to score and both teams to receive a card will bring about an appealing 13/10 shot on Bet 365.
This formula would have been a fruitful one in five of West Ham’s last eight Premier League matches.
What’s more, the same bet would have also been the right one in four of Nottingham Forest’s last six top-flight tussles.
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