Gent v West Ham predictions and odds: Bank on goals in Belgium

Where to watch Gent v West Ham

BT Sport 2, 5.45pm Thursday

Best bet

Over 2.5 goals
1pt 11-10 Betfair, Paddy Power

Gent v West Ham odds

Gent 5-2
West Ham 5-4
Draw 12-5

Odds correct at time of publishing

Gent v West Ham team news

Gent
Davy Roef is likely to be come in between the posts but otherwise Gent could be unchanged from the team who drew 1-1 with Union Saint-Gilloise on Saturday

West Ham
Alphonse Areola is likely to play in goal but David Moyes could keep faith with the line-up that won at Fulham, although Lucas Paqueta has recovered from a knock.

Gent v West Ham predictions

While West Ham have spent most of their Premier League campaign looking over their shoulders, their progress in the Europa Conference League has been serene and they will be confident heading to Gent for the first leg of their quarter-final on Thursday.

David Moyes's side claimed only their second away league win of the campaign with Saturday's 1-0 victory at Fulham, but they have won all ten of their matches in Europe's tertiary competition and will fancy themselves having already seen off Belgium opposition when beating Anderlecht twice in the group stage.

It could be that a return to European action will give the Hammers a breather from the intensity of their relegation battle and we could witness an open affair.

Gent took just eight points from their six group matches and were beaten on their own patch by Swedish outfit Djurgardens, but their campaign sprang into life with a 4-1 win at Istanbul Basaksehir in the last round as striker Gift Orban scored a hat-trick.

Such a strong away performance would have given them a massive lift and they have scored plenty of goals in recent matches, even if they were held to a 1-1 at home to Union Saint-Gilloise at the weekend.

Their record of one defeat in their last 15 home matches has to be put in the context of the upgrade in opposition they should face here, but they are unlikely to sit back in the hope they can take something to London for the second leg.

With West Ham reserving most of their good performances for European competition and lifted by that win at Craven Cottage, it is a surprise to see over 2.5 goals available at odds-against, so it is a price worth taking.

Key stat

Gent have scored 19 goals in their last five matches.

Probable teams

Gent (3-5-2): Roef; Castro-Montes, Okumu, Torunarigha; Samoise, Kums, De Sart, Odjidja-Ofoe, Fofana; Cuypers, Orban
Subs: Hong, Tissoudali, Piatkowski, Fortuna, Nardi, Hauge, Godeau

West Ham (4-4-2): Areola; Coufal, Zouma, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Bowen, Soucek, Rice, Fornals; Ings, Antonio
Subs: Downes, Benrahma, Cornet, Lanzini, Emerson, Paqueta, Aguerd

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