The final tie of this weekend's FA Cup fifth round is an all-Premier League clash, with West Ham welcoming Brentford to the London Stadium on Monday night.
Nuno Espirito Santo's side made heavy weather of their previous two ties, as they needed extra time to see off both QPR and Burton to secure their place in the fifth round.
However, the Premier League has told a different story of late, with the Hammers showing marked improvement in their battle for survival.
A 1-0 win at Fulham on Wednesday moved West Ham to within a point of safety – and delivered both of my recommended bets.
Brentford, meanwhile, continue to survey the Premier League standings from the lofty heights of seventh place, despite a 0-0 draw at Bournemouth in midweek.
Keith Andrews' side have already dispatched Sheffield Wednesday and Mansfield to reach this stage, but Monday night’s trip across the capital promises to be their sternest test yet.
How the bookies view it: Hammers heading for exit
The bookmakers’ odds indicate that West Ham’s latest bid for a first FA Cup triumph since 1980 is likely to come to an end on Monday night, with the hosts listed at 21/10 outsiders on bet365.
Brentford are 5/4 favourites with the same firm, while the 90 minute draw offers the biggest payout of the three outcomes at 12/5.
Head to head: A tight contest on the cards
West Ham and Brentford have met 58 times across all competitions, with West Ham winning 24, Brentford 22 and 12 ending in draws.
Brentford could draw confidence from the fact that they've already claimed a 2-0 win at the London Stadium this season – the same scoreline on Monday night is as big as 12/1 on bet365.
Players to watch: Thiago too big to ignore
With a mightily impressive return of 19 goals across his 30 appearances in all competitions for Brentford this season, Igor Thiago looks terrific value in the anytime goalscorer market here at 11/10 on bet365. The case is further strengthened by the fact that the Brentford ace made the net bulge at the London Stadium earlier this season.
Adama Traore could be handed a place in the West Ham starting XI on Monday night, making him worthy of consideration to be fouled at least twice at 4/5 on bet365. The Hammers forward was brought down on two occasions in his previous appearance in this competition.
Predicted line-ups
With West Ham’s fight for Premier League survival likely taking priority, Hammers boss Nuno is expected to rotate his squad on Monday night. Pablo Felipe is edging closer to a first-team return, while Freddie Potts is available after serving a three-match suspension.
Rico Henry looks set for a spell on the sidelines after being forced off against Bournemouth with a hamstring injury. The Brentford defender will join Antoni Milambo, Aaron Hickey, Fabio Carvalho, Josh Dasilva and Vitaly Janelt in the treatment room.
West Ham: Areola; Walker-Peters, Mavropanos, Disasi, Scarles; Traore, Potts, Magassa, Fernandes; Wilson, Castellanos
Brentford: Valdimarsson; Kayode, Pinnock, Ajer, Lewis-Potter; Yarmoliuk, Henderson; Ouattara, Damsgaard, Schade; Thiago
Anything else catch the eye?
It’s fair to say that the London Stadium isn’t the most atmospheric ground in the Premier League, and it’s unlikely to be at full capacity for Monday night’s FA Cup tie.
With that in mind, backing under four yellow cards looks worthy of support at 4/5 on bet365.
The only way this bet would lose is if there were five or more bookings, and it’s hard to see this cup tie boiling over.
The fact only two cards were shown when the pair met at London Stadium earlier this season makes this selection even more appealing.
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