West Ham vs QPR Prediction: Confidence-boosting strike for Kone

Could this be the end for Nuno Espirito Santo at West Ham United? After a 10-game winless run in the Premier League (D4, L6), losing their relegation six-pointer with Nottingham Forest 2-1 at home on Tuesday, the pressure is mounting on the Portuguese boss ahead of Sunday's FA Cup third-round tie with Queens Park Rangers at London Stadium (14:30 GMT, TNT Sports 5). A defeat for the Irons could well spell the end of Nuno's brief tenure in charge of the club.

Below are my West Ham vs QPR predictions, supported by all the latest team news and match odds.

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Team News

On Tuesday, Nuno handed debuts to his two new attacking signings, Taty Castellanos and Pablo, with the former playing the entire match, and the latter coming off the bench in the 63rd minute. Both players could start on Sunday as they look to get up to speed in English football.

Mads Hermansen, Max Kilman, Soungoutou Magassa and Guido Rodriguez are among the supporting cast hoping for promotions to the starting XI, but with five full free days between this cup tie and their next Premier League game, away to Tottenham Hotspur on January 17, Nuno may decide to keep first-team stars such as Jarrod Bowen and Mateus Fernandes in the side.

Football Odds

QPR boss Julien Stephan has had a full week to prepare for this match, and the Hoops aren't in action next until the following Saturday, either.

Sitting mid-table in the EFL Championship, QPR could name their strongest possible XI in east London, missing only the injured pair Ziyad Larkeche (knee) and Ilias Chair (muscle).

West Ham vs QPR Odds

West Ham are 1/2 to return to winning ways on Saturday, implying a 66.7% probability of success, with the draw, which would send the tie to extra time, offered at 16/5, and QPR considered an 18.2% chance with odds of 9/2.

The hosts are 1/4 to win the tie by any means, with the visitors 11/4 in the same market.

Anytime Goalscorer - Richard Kone (QPR) @ 3/1

Richard Kone ripped League 1 apart in the first half of last season, and while he struggled to maintain that form in the new year, he still ended up with 18 goals in 43 league appearances for Wycombe, adding a further three in cup competitions, including one against Aston Villa in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

The Ivorian striker secured a big move to QPR last summer, and while he hasn't set the Championship alight, he's managed to chip in with five goals and two assists, most recently netting in a 4-1 thrashing of Leicester City on December 20.

Today's Football Fixtures

This looks like an ideal game to increase Kone's confidence, with all the pressure on a vulnerable Irons outfit.

The 22-year-old won't come in for criticism if he doesn't score, or if his side loses, but there is a big chance for him to write his name into history with a famous goal at London Stadium, particularly when you consider QPR's woeful third-round record since the turn of the century.

West Ham have shipped seven goals across their last three games, and while QPR are a level below Brighton, Wolves and Nottingham Forest, they can certainly pack a punch, and their tally of 38 goals in the Championship this season is bettered only by Coventry (57), Ipswich Town (42) and Hull City (40).

Player to Receive a Card - Soungoutou Magassa (WHU) @ 9/2

I haven't seen too much of Magassa at West Ham, but I was hugely impressed with his performance in his side's 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford on December 4, when he scored the equaliser, made five interceptions and recorded four tackles.

The 22-year-old was fouled four times, too, but he committed the same number and was perhaps fortunate to escape the 'Theatre of Dreams' without a booking.

Despite only making nine Premier League starts, Magassa has been shown a couple of yellow cards, one in a 1-1 draw at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium on September 29, and another in a 2-0 home defeat to Liverpool on November 30.

The French midfielder is averaging a foul per game (1.7 fouls per 90 minutes) in the Premier League, while for AS Monaco in Ligue 1 last season, he averaged 1.3 fouls per game and was awarded six cards - five yellow and one red.

At 9/2, he's a big price to go into the book on Sunday.