Fulham vs West Ham Betting Tips

Fulham entertain West Ham at Craven Cottage on Saturday lunchtime and this London derby should be a cracking one, for both sides are nearer last than first in the Premiership going into the game, particularly the Hammers. And neither Chris Coleman or Alan Curbishley will sleep well over Christmas if their respective side is defeated in this fixture. Curbishley couldn't have dreamt of a better start to his reign as West Ham boss than the one which he got on Sunday when his charges beat the title-chasing Man Utd by a goal to nil at the Boleyn Ground. The east London club are still perilously close to the drop zone - they are three from bottom with only Charlton and Watford beneath them - but if they started as they intend to go on at the weekend, then they will definitely climb the table. However, so often clubs perform well above themselves during their first match under a new manager and, now the dust has settled, the acid test for the Hammers will be to achieve consistency. This remark is especially true of their away form - West Ham have failed to win any of their nine away fixtures in the Premiership so far this season, losing eight and drawing just once, while they've conceded 16 times and scored just twice. Furthermore, they've failed to score a solitary goal in their last seven league matches on rival turf. To be fair, you couldn't credibly say that consistency is a word with which Fulham can be described but they start their matches in sw London brightly and are difficult to contain. Indeed, they've beaten both Arsenal and Boro 2-1 in their two most recent home matches. The brace of goals Fulham scored in each of those games were gained during the first half, and American striker Brian McBride, scorer of five goals in 14 appearances so far this term, hit the back of the net on both occasions. West Ham have goals in them but it's disconcerting to say the least that their two main, established and match-fit strikers, Bobby Zamora and Marlon Harewood, have failed to score a Premiership goal between them in the last 14 league fixtures. What with the pre-season injury Dean Ashton sustained and Carlos Tevez's failure to make an impact since joining in the summer, Lady Luck simply hasn't been shining on the east London side this term. It will be interesting to see what tactical approach Curbs takes; it would seem wise under the circumstances for him to endeavour to shore things up at the back first and foremost. If West Ham can ride the early storm that Coleman is bound to cook up from his men, then they will be in with a fighting chance. But their impotence remains a concern, so, tempting though it is, I need to see the Hammers string a couple of decent performances together before backing them. That said, I can see West Ham escaping Craven Cottage with a point, therefore the percentage call is to opt for the draw in the match result market at 9/4 with bet365. The stats don't back this up. Given that they've won five of their nine at home, Fulham would seem the logical choice against a side that are winless on their travels. But the visitors may well draw enough confidence from their shock defeat of United at the weekend to get something out of this clash. Verdict: 2pts draw in the match result market @ 9/4 (bet365)