West Ham United vs. Nottingham Forest Prediction: Relegation Rivals Meet

• West Ham United are four points adrift of safety going into this crunch clash

• Nottingham Forest are in poor form and remain involved in the relegation battle

• West Ham United and Nottingham Forest are both desperate for a victory

West Ham United vs. Nottingham Forest Odds

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My +120 Pick for West Ham United vs. Nottingham Forest 

Pick Nottingham Forest to beat West Ham United. Neither team has played well in recent weeks, but Sean Dyche’s side have what it takes to emerge victorious in this one.

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West Ham United Hit New Nadir With Defeat at the Weekend

West Ham United plumbed new depths at the weekend, which is saying something when you consider how miserable they have been for most of the campaign. Facing one of only two teams below them in the Premier League table, West Ham had the chance to boost their survival chances by beating last-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers. Instead, they slumped to a 3-0 defeat at Molineux.

West Ham were three goals down at the interval after a dismal first-half performance. They did not concede after the interval, but they offered nothing going the other way. Wolves had not won a game all season, yet they outclassed West Ham in every area of the field. West Ham finished with an xG of 0.25, while they did not manage a single shot on target. It was the sort of performance that screams ‘relegation’. 

Nuno looked like a sound appointment following his departure from Nottingham Forest in September. But while West Ham’s problems cannot be laid solely at his door, the Portuguese has not helped himself in recent months. West Ham have not won a game since November 8, a run which has heaped the pressure on their manager.

Nuno felt moved to apologize for his team’s display against Wolves, a result which left West Ham four points adrift of safety after 20 rounds of fixtures.

“It was a failure of many things, mistakes and not reacting to those mistakes, making mistakes and then a second mistake and over and over again not being able to control and create any situation of danger,” he said. 

“Now it's about recovery, it's a quick turnaround, recovering not only physically but more than anything, it's to address the situation and being clear among ourselves that we need much more today. I am particularly sad to say this but what I saw today from our players is not good enough.”

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Honeymoon Period Over for Sean Dyche at Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest enjoyed an upturn in fortunes shortly after Sean Dyche’s appointment in October. Forest won half of their first eight games under the former Burnley and Everton boss, a sequence which saw them climb above the dreaded dotted line in their bid to extend their stay in the top flight.

Things have not gone quite so well since then. Indeed, it is fair to say the honeymoon period at the City Ground is well and truly over for Dyche. A 3-1 loss to Aston Villa on Saturday means Forest have now lost five of their last six matches. The struggles of West Ham and Burnley mean Forest are still outside the drop zone, but they have not been able to pull clear either.

Dyche is known for his conservative tactics, but even by his standards Forest were overly defensive in the first half of the defeat at Villa Park. It was the sort of display that would have been justified had Forest got something from the game, but once Villa broke the deadlock a loss was always likely.

“Very frustrating for us,” Dyche said afterwards. “We delivered the first half as I wished they would until the last moment of truth. Credit to them, really good turn and finish. The second goal was a basic mistake and we could have defended better. We scored a very good goal and then gave away another poor goal. You can't give basic errors away to teams like this in the Premier League. 

“The mentality is there but you can't keep giving yourself a mountain to climb. Players were switching off to the basics, we have worked on it and shown them but this is the job. I never expected it to be easy when I got here.”

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Home Advantage Might Actually Be a Disadvantage on Tuesday

If West Ham United win on Tuesday, they will move within one point of Nottingham Forest in 17th place. A victory for Forest would see them climb seven points clear of Nuno’s men. As the math shows, this is a massive match for both teams.

Because they are the ones in the relegation zone, there is more pressure on West Ham than Forest. On the evidence of the last couple of months, the Hammers are ill equipped to handle that. On this occasion, too, playing at home could work against them. West Ham fans are unhappy with their team right now and they will make their frustrations known if things are not going well.

Neither team has played well in recent weeks, but Forest have had brighter moments. This is a side that qualified for Europe last term, so there is quality within the roster available to Dyche. Moreover, playing away from home suits their counter-attacking style.

This is unlikely to be a classic. The stakes are so high that soccer purists will not find a great deal to like. The result is all-important in games like this and we fancy Nottingham Forest to get a positive one.

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How to Watch West Ham United vs. Nottingham Forest

• Teams: West Ham United vs Nottingham Forest

• Location: London Stadium, London, England

• Date and Time: Tuesday, January 6 at 3:00 PM ET

How to Watch: USA Network