Player stats will appear once the competition begins.
Burnley- Jaydon Banel
- Josh Cullen
- Jordan Beyer
West Ham United- Keiber Lamadrid
- Tomás Soucek
Previous lineup is not available.
Burnley vs West Ham United is the standout tie of the opening weekend, a Sunday 4pm meeting of two clubs freshly relegated from the Premier League, with the Hammers narrow favourites at Turf Moor.
Both sides drop into the Championship among the promotion favourites, but West Ham arrive with the stronger recent record and a squad packed with top-flight names. Andy Francis has the best bets, our score prediction and the head-to-head record below.
Premium Tips
Andy makes West Ham the pick in a game that should not be short of goals, with the visitors’ retained quality the difference.
| Premium Tip | Odds | Why we’re backing it |
|---|---|---|
| Both Teams To Score & Over 3.5 Goals | 2/1 | Both these sides tumbled out of the Premier League with leaky defences, which points to goals. Burnley shipped 75 last season and West Ham 65, and between them they managed just 11 clean sheets in 76 matches. That makes both teams to score the stronger half of this bet. The recent head-to-head backs the goals angle too. Both teams have scored in three of the last four meetings, and the exact both-teams-to-score and over 3.5 combination landed in two of those four, including a 3-2 and a 2-2. Two porous back lines meeting early in the season points to an open game. |
| Hannibal Mejbri and Tomas Soucek to be booked | 14/1 | Hannibal Mejbri is the anchor of this bet. He collected 10 yellow cards last season, a booking roughly every 123 minutes he played, so few midfielders are carded more often. He fouls, niggles and disrupts, exactly the profile referees punish. Tomas Soucek brings the physical, aerial presence alongside him, a combative midfielder who committed 37 fouls last season and throws himself into challenges. A feisty, early-season Championship clash between two just-relegated sides should bring tackles flying in and a busy referee. Mejbri makes this bet; Soucek is the calculated risk that gives it its price. |
18+ only. Please gamble responsibly. GambleAware — gambleaware.org · Odds correct at time of publishing.
How Burnley go into the game
Burnley endured a chastening Premier League campaign, going down in 19th with just 22 points and 75 goals conceded. Turf Moor remains a difficult place to visit, though, and the parachute payments give them the resources to mount a swift return.
Zian Flemming and Ashley Barnes offer a threat up front, and the hosts will hope the drop back to the Championship reignites the form that won them promotion in the past. A strong start against a fancied rival would set the tone.
How West Ham United go into the game
West Ham also came down from the Premier League, finishing 18th on 39 points, but they did so with a squad that still boasts serious quality. Jarrod Bowen, Niclas Fullkrug and Taty Castellanos give them a forward line few at this level can live with.
The Hammers also travel with recent history on their side, unbeaten in the last five meetings with Burnley. If they carry their top-flight names’ quality into the Championship, they will be many people’s tip for the title.
Burnley vs West Ham United head-to-head
| Date | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07/02/26 | Burnley | 0-2 | West Ham United |
| 08/11/25 | West Ham United | 3-2 | Burnley |
| 10/03/24 | West Ham United | 2-2 | Burnley |
| 25/11/23 | Burnley | 1-2 | West Ham United |
| 17/04/22 | West Ham United | 1-1 | Burnley |
All of the recent meetings have come in the Premier League, and West Ham have had the better of them, unbeaten in the last five and winners of three, including a 2-0 at Turf Moor last season. Burnley will need to buck that trend to start with a statement.
Burnley vs West Ham United predictions & betting tips
| Our Prediction | Odds & Bookmaker | Confidence | Why We’re Backing It |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Ham to win | 5/4 | ⭐⭐⭐ | Retained top-flight quality and a strong recent record. |
| Both teams to score | 4/7 | ⭐⭐⭐ | Two attacking sides with questions at the back. |
| Jarrod Bowen anytime scorer | 7/4 | ⭐⭐⭐ | West Ham’s talisman should relish this level. |
| Over 2.5 goals | 8/11 | ⭐⭐ | Goals look likely between two open sides. |
| Burnley 1-2 West Ham | 17/2 | ⭐⭐ | Our headline scoreline for an away win with goals. |
Burnley vs West Ham United score prediction
Turf Moor will make this no easy afternoon, and Burnley have the crowd and the parachute payments to be competitive. But West Ham’s array of attacking talent and their recent dominance of the fixture make them worthy favourites, and we expect them to edge a lively contest. Score prediction: Burnley 1-2 West Ham United.
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