West Ham vs Newcastle Prediction & Betting Tips - Premier League

Prediction published on 09/09/2020, 06:06  by James | Modified on 09/09/2020 at 07:06 in Premier League Predictions

West Ham and Newcastle United lock horns on the opening day of the new Premier League season at the London Stadium on Saturday. West Ham narrowly avoided relegation last time out, finishing 16th, five points ahead of the relegated sides. Newcastle didn't land much higher, their 13th-placed finish gave them a lot more breathing space though and they could have been further up the table if their form didn't fall off a cliff after lockdown. Newcastle have had the better of West Ham in recent meetings, getting two wins and one draw from their last three clashes. The Magpies have also won two of their last three away matches against West Ham, so they won't fear their opponents. West Ham won't appear fearsome to many foes of late, the club being in such a state of disarray. There is open revolt in the changing room with senior figures like Mark Noble calling out the board for selling talented players. The Hammers have made Tomáš Souček a permanent signing but otherwise haven't seriously invested in the squad. Prized asset Declan Rice continues to be the subject of transfer speculation amid poor pre-season results like a 5-3 defeat to Bournemouth.

Newcastle fans were hoping that the club would be taken over by investors from Saudi Arabia and transformed into a title contender. That dream has so far not materialised but they can be relatively happy with the investment in the first-team squad. Alongside Jeff Hendrick from Burnley come a gang of players signed from relegated rivals; Callum Wilson and Ryan Fraser from Bournemouth, and Jamal Lewis from Norwich. Newcastle were poor away from home last season with only five clubs having worse away records. They are, however, unbeaten in three of their last six away league games. West Ham had a poor home record last season with only four teams being worse on their own patch. They are unbeaten in four of their last six home games, form that was affected by the looming threat of relegation. Expect normal service to resume. We suggest backing the visitors to win.