Two of last season's relegated Premier League clubs collide on the opening weekend of the Championship, with West Ham heading to Turf Moor.
Burnley face West Ham United at Turf Moor on Sunday afternoon, with both clubs beginning life back in the Championship after going down from the Premier League last season. Burnley finished 19th and parted ways with Scott Parker by mutual consent on 30th April, with former Club Brugge and Genk boss Nicky Hayen taking over on a three-year deal signed on 10th July. It is a first taste of English football management for the Belgian, and a tricky opening assignment against a West Ham side many expect to bounce straight back up.
West Ham's relegation on the final day of last season was a hammer blow, ending a run of top-flight football stretching back to 2012, but the summer rebuild under Nuno Espírito Santo has been shrewd. Keeping captain Jarrod Bowen at the London Stadium was their most important piece of business, while the additions of Joel Veltman and Manor Solomon add proven quality and experience to the squad, even after cashing in on Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville for big fees. It also means a first competitive return to Turf Moor for James Ward-Prowse, who joined Burnley from West Ham this summer.
Burnley vs West Ham Best Bet
Recommended Bet: West Ham to Win
Best Odds: 11/8 (William Hill)
Advised Stake: 1pt
West Ham arrive at Turf Moor as the shortest-priced favourites to win the Championship title in recent memory, and their squad depth should tell early against a Burnley side still finding its feet under a manager taking his first game in English football. Bowen's decision to stay, allied to the arrivals of Veltman and Solomon and a further deadline-day swoop for Arne Engels, gives Nuno considerably more attacking and defensive quality to call upon than most sides will boast at this level.
Burnley, by contrast, go into the game without a settled first-choice XI. Jordan Beyer hasn't featured competitively since December 2023 because of a long-term knee injury, Josh Cullen is unavailable for his boyhood club through an ACL problem, and winger Jaydon Banel is set for weeks out with an injury sustained in training. New signings Ugo Raghouber and Lluc Castell could be asked to debut in the league having only just arrived from Lille and Espanyol respectively - not the ideal preparation for an opening-day assignment against the division's clear favourites.
Who is Betting Favourite to Win Burnley vs West Ham?
According to recent odds at Oddschecker, West Ham are the betting favourites to beat Burnley in the Championship encounter, with an implied win probability of around 45%, while Burnley sit at roughly 33%.
West Ham are heading into the Championship opener, priced at 11/8 to win at Turf Moor, with Burnley available at 9/5 and the draw on offer at 9/4.
To Win Odds:
West Ham: 11/8 (William Hill)
Draw: 9/4 (William Hill)
Burnley: 9/5 (William Hill)
Burnley vs West Ham Bet Builder Tip
Our Bet Builder Tip for Burnley vs West Ham consists of the following legs:
- West Ham - Win Market
- Zian Flemming Over 0.5 - Shots On Target
- Jarrod Bowen Over 1.5 - Shots On Target
Best price of 15/2 at Coral at the time of writing.
West Ham Win
West Ham's summer business, and the fact they've been installed as the shortest-priced Championship favourites in recent memory, points to a squad built to bounce straight back up. Burnley head into the game with three key absences in Beyer, Cullen and Banel, and a head coach in Nicky Hayen taking his first competitive game in charge in English football. West Ham's greater strength in depth should be the difference on opening weekend.
Jarrod Bowen - Over 1.5 Shots On Target
Bowen is the standout West Ham attacking option, and today's drop into the Championship should give him an excellent opportunity to clear 1.5 shots on target. His last 10-game SOT sequence reads 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, so the raw numbers are not as convincing as Flemming's, but the quality of opposition is the key factor here.
Bowen has chosen to remain at West Ham despite relegation and will now be operating against Championship defences rather than Premier League backlines. He has already shown his attacking pedigree at the highest level, reaching 16 Premier League goals in 2023/24 and becoming West Ham's club captain.
With West Ham among the promotion favourites and Bowen expected to be the focal point of their attack, this is exactly the type of fixture where his shot volume can take a significant step up. Over 1.5 shots on target requires him to land two, but the quality drop from Premier League to Championship makes it an appealing aggressive leg.
Zian Flemming Over 0.5 - Shots On Target
Flemming is a strong option to register at least one shot on target as Burnley welcome West Ham to Turf Moor in today's Championship opener. The Dutchman has recorded 2, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 2, 2 and 1 shots on target across his last 10 matches, averaging 1.0 SOT per 90 over that stretch. He is also Burnley's main attacking focal point, having scored 10 league goals last season.
The matchup should give him opportunities too. West Ham are starting life in the Championship after relegation, while Burnley will be looking to make home advantage count in their first league game. Flemming's recent shot-on-target consistency makes Over 0.5 SOT a sensible way to back him to test the goalkeeper.
Burnley vs West Ham Player Prop Bet
Recommended Bet: Jarrod Bowen - Anytime Goalscorer
Best Odds: 11/4
Advised Stake: 1pt
Bowen is the standout attacking threat on the pitch on Sunday, and his decision to stay and lead West Ham's promotion push adds extra motivation to make an instant statement. Across his last two Premier League campaigns he racked up 34 goal involvements, and dropping down a level against a Burnley defence missing its first-choice centre-back pairing should present him with plenty of opportunities in and around the box.
Bowen's movement and finishing ability inside the penalty area have made him one of English football's most reliable forwards over the past three seasons, and with West Ham expected to dominate territory against a Burnley side still finding its shape under a new manager, the captain looks a strong option to get his Championship campaign up and running with a goal.
