West Ham vs Nottingham: Premier League Prediction (18.05.2025)

On Sunday, May 18 at 20:15 WIB, local club West Ham United will host Nottingham Forest at the London Olympic Stadium in the penultimate Round 37 of the 2024–2025 English Premier League. The hosts are sitting in 15th place with nothing left to fight for in terms of standings. The visitors are in seventh place, still with a chance to climb into the top five and qualify for the Champions League.

Despite the teams’ differing positions in the table, bookmakers do not see a clear favorite in the West Ham – Nottingham matchup. The odds are 2.75 for a West Ham win, 3.42 for a draw, and 2.62 for a Forest victory. The over 2.5 goals market is priced at 1.99, meaning experts don’t expect a high-scoring match. The odds for both teams to score are set at 1.76.

West Ham

The appointment of Graham Potter in January this year has not brought much of a positive spark. The only notable change was avoiding the danger of relegation. Just in the previous round, West Ham managed to end an eight-match winless streak by defeating a helpless Manchester United 2–0.

Despite having attacking stars like Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen, Evan Ferguson, and Niclas Füllkrug, the Hammers average just 1.17 goals per game. Only four other Premier League clubs have worse scoring records this season.

Nottingham

Nuno Espírito Santo places greater emphasis on defensive reliability. His backline features world-class defenders like Murillo (who is currently injured), Nikola Milenković, Ola Aina, and Neco Williams. Their disciplined play had brought results, but in the last three rounds, the team dropped many points, putting their Champions League hopes in jeopardy.

Conceding five goals across matches against Brentford (0–2), Crystal Palace (1–1), and Leicester (2–2) is too much. It’s possible that the season’s long marathon has taken its toll on Forest, causing them to lose freshness and focus at this crucial stage.

Head-to-head statistics

Since 2022, the teams have met five times, with Nottingham leading the win count 3–2. Forest won the last two head-to-head encounters at home without conceding, 2–0 and 3–0.

Prediction

In recent months, Nottingham’s defense hasn’t looked impenetrable – they’ve conceded goals in seven consecutive away matches in the Premier League. The recommended bet is “both teams to score and over 2.5 total goals” at odds of 1.76.