West Ham United vs Watford Predictions

• West Ham have won none of their last three games within 90 minutes
• The Hammers have won once in five home meetings with bottom-half sides (D1 L3)
• Just two of the Hammers’ 11 home games have seen them win my two-clear goals
• Watford have lost by two or more in only two of their 10 trips

Solid start for Hodgson

New Watford boss Roy Hodgson may not have kicked off with a victory, but he got a decent performance out of his new charges at the weekend. The Hornets drew 0-0 at Burnley on Saturday, dominating in terms of shots on target and coming out on top in terms of Expected Goals.

That’s a positive for a Watford side who had lost eight of nine games prior to the new boss taking charge. They’ve been too easy to beat all season, conceding far too many goals. At least Hodgson will change that, which poses a problem for West Ham.

Rough spell for Hammers

It took 120 minutes for West Ham to take the lead against sixth-tier Kidderminster on Saturday, very nearly going out of the competition before their 90th-minute equaliser. While the Hammers made it through, that shaky display follows a couple of results which have dented their top-four hopes.

The hosts have lost at home to Leeds and at Manchester United in their last two games, failing to impress across either game. They gifted far too many chances to the opposition in both, so the return of Watford’s top scorer Emmanuel Dennis could trouble David Moyes’ men.

Watford can keep it close

West Ham have taken some big scalps at home this term – beating Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham – but they’ve failed to deliver consistently as favourites. The Hammers have won once in five home meetings with the bottom 10, losing three.

Don’t expect this Watford side to look like the team West Ham brushed aside 4-1 earlier this term. I’m backing this one to be close, given that the Hammers have won by two clear goals in only two of 11 home games, with Watford losing by two or more in only two of their last 10 trips.

It would be a tall order for Watford to pull off a third win in five visits to West Ham, but I see them keeping this one close with their new manager improving them defensively. Back Watford with a +2 handicap, while a narrow 1-0 West Ham win is my correct score prediction.

West Ham predicted lineup: Areola; Coufal, Dawson, Zouma, Cresswell; Soucek, Rice; Bowen, Lanzini, Fornals; Antonio

Watford predicted lineup: Foster; Femenia, Cathcart, Samir, Kamara; Kucka, Kayembe, Sissoko; Dennis, King, Pedro