Nottingham Forest vs West Ham predictions, team news, betting tips, odds and Bet Builder

Nottingham Forest vs West Ham kick-off, date & TV info 

Date Sunday, August 31
Kick-off 2pm
Venue City Ground, Nottingham
Competition Premier League
TV Sky Sports Premier League

Nottingham Forest host West Ham in the Premier League on Sunday and, just three games into the 2025-26 season, Hammers boss Graham Potter is already feeling the pressure.

His side lost 3-2 at Wolves in the EFL Cup on Tuesday, following heavy league defeats to Sunderland and Chelsea, while Forest are 12-1 to win the Europa League after Friday's league-phase draw.

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Nottingham Forest vs West Ham betting tips & predictions

Best bet

Nottingham Forest
3pts 8-11 Coral, Ladbrokes

Player shots

Tomas Soucek to have two or more shots
7-4 bet365

Longshot

Nikola Milenkovic to score at any time
7-1 bet365, BoyleSports

Nottingham Forest vs West Ham preview 

Before Manchester United's shock EFL Cup exit at Grimsby turned up the heat on Ruben Amorim, the Premier League sack-race betting was dominated by Nuno Espirito Santo and Graham Potter.

In terms of results, Nottingham Forest's Nuno should be on solid ground after securing European football for the Tricky Trees thanks to last season's seventh-place finish.

However, his fractious relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis propelled him to favouritism in the betting on which top-flight manager would be the first to leave their job.

Potter's predicament at West Ham is more straightforward. There was no new-manager bounce when he arrived in east London in January and, after a tough summer in the transfer market, the Hammers have stumbled out of the traps in 2025-26.

A 3-0 defeat at relegation favourites Sunderland was a miserable start to the season although things looked brighter, very briefly, in their home fixture against Chelsea.

The Blues' star man Cole Palmer suffered an injury in the warm-up before Lucas Paqueta gave West Ham a sixth-minute lead at the London Stadium.

Less than an hour later, however, home fans were streaming out of the ground with Chelsea leading 5-1 and there was a toxic atmosphere in the away section at Wolves on Tuesday.

Two late goals condemned West Ham to a 3-2 EFL Cup defeat and they face another tough trip to the Midlands to take on Forest, who are a force to be reckoned with at the City Ground.

Despite the off-field drama, Nuno's men look solid favourites to deepen the Hammers' gloom.

Forest scored three first-half goals against Brentford in their opener and the arrival of Dan Ndoye, Douglas Luiz, Omari Hutchinson and James McAtee brings real depth to the midfield and attacking departments.

Last season's top scorer Chris Wood notched twice against the Bees while Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson were named in Thomas Tuchel's latest England squad on Friday.

Confidence is far lower in the visiting camp and West Ham's muddled recruitment and defensive vulnerability means they are there to be opposed.

Soucek could be shooting star for struggling visitors

West Ham are short of attacking options, especially as Brazilian forward Paqueta is expected to miss the trip to Forest due to a possible move to Aston Villa.

Tomas Soucek, like Paqueta, was on the scoresheet against Wolves on Tuesday. The Czech midfielder is a decent bet to have over 1.5 shots, having averaged 1.6 attempts per game in the league last season.

Forest centre-back can hurt Hammers at set-pieces

Forest's 6ft 5in centre-back Nikola Milenkovic scored five Premier League goals last season and could rattle a shaky West Ham defence at set pieces.

The Hammers conceded two headed goals at Sunderland and Moises Caicedo and Trevoh Chalobah struck from corners in the Irons' chastening home defeat to Chelsea. 

Nottingham Forest vs West Ham Bet Builder

Nottingham Forest to win

Forest breezed past Brentford in their first home game and should be fresher than West Ham, who suffered a painful midweek EFL Cup defeat at Wolves.

Over 2.5 goals

The Hammers have conceded 11 goals in their first three matches of the campaign and another high-scoring contest is expected at the City Ground.

Matheus Fernandes to be shown a card

West Ham's new signing was booked eight times for Southampton in last season's Premier League and he picked up a yellow card in Saints' EFL Cup win at Northampton this term.

Pays out at 27-4 with Ladbrokes

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Key stats for Nottingham Forest vs West Ham

♦ Nottingham Forest have been leading at half-time and full-time in each of their last three meetings with West Ham
♦ Forest striker Chris Wood has scored 13 goals in 19 league appearances at the City Ground since the start of 2024-25
♦ Both teams have scored in eight of West Ham's last ten top-flight games
♦ Eight of West Ham's 38 league matches last season ended 1-1
♦ The Hammers have won only two of their last 13 league fixtures

Nottingham Forest vs West Ham betting odds

Sign up with Ladbrokes to bet on Nottingham Forest vs West Ham in the Premier League. Here are the latest odds for Sunday's match.

Odds correct at time of publishing

Want more top football betting advice? Make sure you take a look at Racing Post Sport's tips for more of the latest picks from our experts.

Nottingham Forest vs West Ham team news and predicted line-ups

Nottingham Forest

Forest have a fully fit squad other than long-term injury absentee Nicolas Dominguez so new boys Douglas Luiz, Omari Hutchinson and James McAtee may start on the bench again.

Predicted line-up (4-2-3-1): Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Anderson, Yates; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood
Subs: Sangare, McAtee, Hutchinson, Kalimuendo, Jesus, Luiz, Morato

West Ham

Lucas Paqueta and Nayef Aguerd, both linked with a move away from West Ham, are unlikely to feature but Mateus Fernandes could come straight into the team after signing from Southampton this week. Crysencio Summerville, George Earthy and Luis Guilherme remain sidelined.

Predicted line-up (3-4-2-1): Hermansen; Todibo, Mavropanos, Kilman; Wan-Bissaka, Soucek, Ward-Prowse, Diouf; Bowen, Fernandes; Fullkrug
Subs: Walker-Peters, Rodriguez, Marshall, Wilson, Irving, Potts, Scarles

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FAQs for Nottingham Forest vs West Ham

When is Nottingham Forest vs West Ham in the Premier League?

The game kicks off at 2pm on Sunday, August 31.

Where is Nottingham Forest vs West Ham being played?

Nottingham Forest host West Ham at the City Ground in Nottingham.

Where can I watch Nottingham Forest vs West Ham?

There is live coverage of Nottingham Forest vs West Ham on Sky Sports Premier League.

What is the match betting for Nottingham Forest vs West Ham?

Nottingham Forest are strong favourites at 8-11 to beat West Ham, who are 19-5 for victory with the draw at 13-5.

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