The Hammers will host the Buffalos in a highly-anticipated UECL match! It’s time to check our Europa Conference League odds series, starring our West Ham-Gent prediction, pick, and how-to-watch guide.
Despite relegation scares catching up to the Irons, West Ham is still adamant to survive the Premier League. The Hammers remain the top favorites to win the second edition of the Europa Conference League. West Ham is on a three-game unbeaten run, securing a 1-0 win over Fulham then snatching draws with Arsenal and today's visitors in the past two games.
The Belgians remain a solid team since the turn of the calendar. The Buffalos' last loss this year was at the end of February. Gent will be seeking to maintain its nine-game unbeaten run, including 1-1 draws against Union SG, West Ham, and KV Mechelen in its last three games.
Here are the West Ham-Gent soccer odds, courtesy of FanDuel.Â
Europa Conference League Odds: West Ham-Gent Odds
West Ham United FC: -170
KAA Gent: +470
Draw: +290
Over 2.5 Goals: -104
Under 2.5 Goals: -118
How to Watch West Ham vs. Gent
TV: N/A
Stream: Paramount+, ViX+
Time: 3 PM ET / 12 PM PT
*Watch soccer LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why West Ham Can Beat Gent
The home side has endured a largely turbulent league campaign but remains among the favorites to lift the Conference League title at the end of the season. They held on for a 1-1 draw in the first leg last week, with Danny Ings getting on the scoresheet for the Hammers in the first half.
West Ham came from behind to pick up a 2-2 draw against league leaders Arsenal in their Premier League game last weekend and will take confidence from that on Thursday. This means that West Ham is on a run of back-to-back draws and has lost just one of their last eight games across all competitions. They have shown solidity on the home turf of late and will be looking forward to Thursday's game. In the Prem, the Hammers hold a 6-4-6 record at the London Stadium, garnering 22 points and scoring 21 goals.
The Hammers will need to score first to force the visitors onto the front foot as they are likely to sit back and play on the counter, although the Premier League side has enough attacking threat to grab that all-important goal. In nine games in the Europa Conference League, West Ham is averaging 2.2 goals, 13.8 total shots, and 4.8 corner kicks, which resulted in 20 goals and 13 assists. Jarrod Bowen leads the Hammers with four goals in this tourney, while each of Michail Antonio and Gianluca Scamacca have three. Midfielders Pablo Fronals and Manuel Lanzini have six combined goal involvements.
Defensive duo Nayef Aguerd and Angelo Ogbonna missed the match against the Gunners due to minor injuries and will need to prove their fitness before being considered for selection. Gianluca Scamacca is guaranteed absent in this match against Gent.
Coach David Moyes is well aware that his team has a terrific chance of advancing to the semifinals of a European competition. West Ham’s Europa Conference League campaign has been a welcome distraction from their Premier League struggles, with the Hammers looking to end a 43-year wait for silverware with their first European honor since their Cup Winners’ Cup win in 1965.
Why Gent Can Beat West Ham
Gent is playing well at the moment and perhaps deserved to win the reverse fixture last Thursday. Hugo Cuypers' left-footed finish saw the Belgian outfit draw level early after the restart but they could not find a crucial second goal despite their significant offensive dominance.
Gent is on a run of three consecutive draws and is unbeaten in their last nine matches. Hein Vanhaezebrouck's side is winless in their last three games after being held to a 1-1 draw by Mechelen in their latest fixture at the weekend.
Gent's away form in this season's Europa Conference League is poor, with one win from six games on the road, although that sole victory was an emphatic 4-1 success at Istanbul Basaksehir in the last round. In the Belgian Pro League, Gent does pose a 7-4-6 record on the road, scoring 36 goals in their travels. The Buffalos can take inspiration from this as they travel to England. Gent traveled to Istanbul in the second leg of the last round, and emerged 4-1 winners against Basaksehir, a clear display that the pressure of away fixtures doesn’t phase them,
The Belgian side is far away from any title aspirations, so focusing on the return leg against West Ham is the team's priority. Both West Ham and Gent will be looking to make the semi-final of the Conference League for the first time ever. Gent will be seeking its first trophy in Europe; they won the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2006 and 2007.
Gent has no new injury problems from last week's meeting. Andrew Hjulsager is injured while Darko Lemajic is doubtful to play. Hugo Cuypers and Gift Emmanuel Orban are expected to lead the attack. Hyunseok Hong provides value as an attacking midfielder. Davy Roef will get the nod as the first-choice goalkeeper for the Belgian squad.
Final West Ham-Gent Prediction & Pick
Both teams have been extremely solid for the past few weeks. However, West Ham has the advantage in class, experience, and goal-scoring, which makes them a candidate to proceed to the semifinals. A high-scoring match will be anticipated here but West Ham gets the win over Gent.
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