Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
In the 37th round of the English Premier League, West Ham will host Nottingham Forest at home. The match is scheduled for Sunday, May 18, at 15:15 Central European Time. Here’s my betting tip for this game.
West Ham vs Nottingham Forest: match facts and head-to-head
- West Ham are winless at home in four consecutive matches: three draws and one defeat.
- Nottingham Forest are also on a four-game winless streak: two draws and two losses.
- West Ham have scored in six straight games, while Nottingham have found the net in only two consecutive matches.
- Nottingham have won 32% of their matches this season without conceding a goal, while West Ham’s clean sheet rate is twice as low at just 16%.
- West Ham have slightly more defeats without scoring—19% compared to Nottingham’s 17%.
- In the reverse fixture, Nottingham thrashed West Ham 3-0. In the last five meetings, the Tricky Trees have claimed three wins, with the Hammers taking two.
West Ham vs Nottingham Forest: match preview
West Ham have changed managers—Graham Potter has taken charge, helping the club climb off the bottom of the table and secure their Premier League status. Although the club didn’t spend long in the relegation zone, change was needed, and Potter’s appointment made perfect sense. He’s managed to bring some stability, and the team now sit 15th with 40 points. In the previous round, West Ham beat Manchester United 2-0 and even leapfrogged them in the standings.
Nottingham Forest played some excellent football throughout the season and held on to third place for a long time. However, recent weeks have seen a dip in form, resulting in a slide down the table. Forest not only missed the chance to fight for medals, but have also dropped out of the Champions League spots—they’re currently seventh. The gap to fifth is just four points, but with only two rounds remaining, making up that difference will be extremely difficult. On top of that, it all depends not only on Forest’s results but also on their rivals slipping up.
Probable lineups
- West Ham: Areola; Cresswell, Kilman, Todibo; Coufal, Souček, Ward-Prowse, Wan-Bissaka; Paquetá; Bowen, Kudus
- Nottingham Forest: Sels; Aina, Milenković, Morato, Williams; Yates, Anderson; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Domínguez; Wood
Prediction
Nottingham have more at stake, so expect the visitors to give it their all in pursuit of victory. Still, West Ham—especially fresh off a confident win over Manchester United—won’t give up points easily at home. I’m backing both teams to score. The odds for this outcome are 1.72.
