Matchweek 21 of the Premier League has arrived as Nottingham Forest makes the trip to face West Ham at London Stadium in a game that sees 17th place take on 18th. We are officially more than halfway through the Premier League season, and there is plenty at stake for both sides in this game as they both look to survive relegation.
Forest are +125 favorites on the moneyline for this one on DraftKings Sportsbook, with a draw available at +245. Fancy a West Ham upset? The Hammers are +215 to pick up three points.
West Ham vs. Nottingham Forest Prediction, Pick
Both of these teams find themselves in a tough spot at the start of 2026. West Ham are in 18th place, four points from safety. They are looking up at Nottingham Forest, who are in 17th position and barely clinging to life outside the relegation zone. It goes without saying that this is a massive fixture. West Ham are the most likely team currently in the bottom three who look like they have a chance of survival, while Forest look like the most likely team outside the bottom three who could possibly fall back in. This game is a six-point swing, and the victor in this one will have all the momentum on their side for survival.
Obviously, neither of these sides are in great form as their league position suggests. However, West Ham are in a worse spot at the moment. They just lost 3-0 to Wolves, a team that failed to win each of its first 19 Premier League games and sits bottom of the league. In fact, West Ham are on an incredible winless streak. The Hammers have not won a Premier League game since November 8th, when they beat Burnley 3-2 at home. That game was almost two months to the date of this match. Yikes.
Things are not going well at Forest either, but there is slightly more stability. They won two games in the month of December, beating Wolves and Tottenham. They have lost four in a row, however, since that result against Spurs. This game comes as a massive opportunity to essentially bury West Ham and increase their odds of surviving tenfold. If Forest can get three points on Tuesday, all of a sudden they open up a seven point gap over West Ham with a better goal difference.
The recent games between these sides are fairly even. West Ham did win the reverse fixture 3-0 earlier this season, but that was all the way back in August. A lot has changed since then, including the managers for both teams. In the last five Premier League matchups, Forest have won three and lost two.
I think this will be a close game between two struggling sides, but Forest are slightly the better team in my opinion. If you just look at both teams’ most recent game, Forest lost a competitive 3-1 match away to third-placed Aston Villa, while West Ham were dominated 3-0 against one of the worst teams in Premier League history. Give me Forest to collect the three points in this relegation showdown.
