Sunderland vs West Ham Prediction: Black Cats to win on top-flight return

After an eight-year absence, Sunderland are back in the Premier League. Last season's Championship play-off winners start their campaign with a home clash at the Stadium of Light as West Ham United make the trip up to Wearside on Saturday (15:00 BST).

The Irons will be looking to build on last year's 14th-place finish as Graham Potter bids to rebuild his credentials in management. Read on to find my Sunderland vs West Ham predictions, alongside the latest team news and match odds.

Team News

Sunderland head into the season with a number of injury troubles as Luke O'Nien, Aji Alese (both shoulder), Leo Hjelde (Achilles), Dennis Cirkin (wrist) and Romaine Mundle (thigh) are all sidelined, with the latter set to miss the first two months of the season.

Regis Le Bris has named summer acquisition Granit Xhaka as his captain, and the former Arsenal man is set to line up in midfield against the Hammers, potentially alongside club-record signing Habib Diarra and Enzo Le Fee.

Fellow new additions Marc Guiu and Omar Alderete are building up their fitness, so are unlikely to be involved at the weekend as things stand.

Eliezer Mayenda and Wilson Isidor will both be pushing to lead the line, while new boys Simon Adingra and Chemsdine Talbi will be hoping to start on the wings.

Premier League Odds

West Ham are hopeful that Crysencio Summerville is closing in on a return from a long-term hamstring injury, while George Earthy is sidelined with an ankle injury picked up in training last month.

Potter must decide whether to stick with Alphonse Areola between the sticks or hand a debut to Mads Hermansen, who has just joined from Leicester City for £19m.

New left wing-back El Hadji Malick Diouf has impressed in pre-season and is likely to start on the left flank, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka on the right, while Jarrod Bowen should lead the line for the Irons.

Sunderland vs West Ham Odds

Sunderland won 52% (12/23) of their home games in the Championship last year and they are 11/5, which has an implied probability of 31.3% to get off the mark on opening day.

Two of the past four meetings between the two clubs have ended in a draw, and the stalemate is available at 5/2.

West Ham won the other two and they are 13/10 to come away with the three points.

Four of the Irons' previous six away trips in the top flight have seen both teams get on the scoresheet - with BTTS marketed at 8/11 on this occasion.

Sunderland to win @ 11/5

Many think Sunderland will struggle this season, which is fair given how the gap between the lower end of the Premier League and the summit of the Championship has been widening in recent years - and all three promoted sides last term were relegated.

The Black Cats may have not gone up automatically but I think they have the best survival chances of the teams who have just come up, with Leeds United and Burnley being the other two.

Le Bris is a good coach and I think he will be able to take this team to another level with the investment being put into his squad. Sunderland supporters have been on a rollercoaster of emotions over the past eight years, which has seem them go to League 1 and back.

They will be pumped up for this occasion and the SOL should be bouncing. I think this will help the players take it up a gear against a West Ham side I do have concerns about heading into the new term.

Both teams to score @ 8/11

Sunderland's biggest question mark is their defence. O'Nien is a popular figure in this part of the country having been part of the Black Cats' rise from the third tier to the top flight -mostly as a centre-back. He was initially signed as a midfielder.

Not to do him a disservice because he has had some good games in that role and of course he's not available at the weekend, but he is going to face his toughest tests yet in this role if he does play at centre-back.

Sunderland conceded 44 goals in the Championship last term, the most of the sides in the top four. I think defensive improvement is needed to give them their best chance at staying up, but for now I think they do look vulnerable at the back.

I think they can get the win but I fancy West Ham to get on the scoresheet, with BTTS striking in four of the Hammers' last six away days in the Premier League.

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