West Ham vs Nottingham Forest prediction, H2H and probable line-ups - 18 May 2025
One of the games of the 37th round of the English Premier League will take place on Sunday at the London Stadium, where the local West Ham will host Nottingham Forest. Here’s a betting tip for the outcome of this clash with an attractive odds.
Match preview
The Hammers have entered the season’s home stretch without any tournament motivation and are essentially running on autopilot as the campaign winds down. The win over Manchester United in the previous round shouldn't be misleading — the Red Devils have long shifted their focus to the Europa League and have effectively stopped fighting in the Premier League. West Ham themselves looked energetic, but that was more of a situational surge than a systematic push.
The team isn't fighting for European spots nor are they threatened by relegation, so in the remaining matches, the main goal is to save face in front of the fans and finish the season without unnecessary negativity. With no pressure for results at the Olympic Stadium, anything can happen — and that unpredictability makes the Hammers particularly tricky opponents at this stage.
Nottingham Forest have officially returned to European competition for the first time since the 1990s — a moment their fans have been waiting for nearly three decades. Nuno Espírito Santo’s side held a firm grip on a top-three Premier League spot for much of the season and were genuine contenders for a Champions League ticket. However, the Foresters’ form has dipped in recent weeks. A defeat to Brentford (0-2), along with draws against Crystal Palace (1-1) and Leicester (2-2), saw Forest slip to seventh place.
Nevertheless, they trail fifth place by just a single point, and their Champions League hopes are still alive. But the recent stats are worrying: only one win in their last six league matches (two draws and three defeats). With the season reaching its climax, Forest are stalling, and unless they can urgently reverse this negative trend, the dream of Champions League football may remain just that — a dream — despite the historic achievement of returning to European competition.
Probable line-ups
- West Ham: Alphonse Areola – Max Kilman, Jean-Clair Todibo, Vladimir Coufal, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Aaron Cresswell – James Ward-Prowse, Tomas Soucek, Guido Rodriguez, Mohammed Kudus – Jarrod Bowen
- Nottingham Forest: Matz Sels – Ola Aina, Morato, Nikola Milenkovic, Neco Williams – Elliot Anderson, Morgan Gibbs-White, Nicolas Dominguez, Ibrahim Sangare – Anthony Elanga, Chris Wood
Match facts and head-to-head
- In the first half of the season, Nottingham Forest defeated their opponent at home 3-0
- The bet on “Total over 2.5” won in three out of the last five matches
- The “Both teams to score” bet landed in just one of their last five encounters
Prediction
The bookmakers have set very cautious odds for this match, rating both teams almost equally. We believe the visitors are closer to success, as they are the more motivated side. Our prediction: “Nottingham Forest to win with a (0) handicap” at odds of 1.89.
