West Ham vs Ipswich Prediction: Delap to deliver again

West Ham United welcome Ipswich Town to the London Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday (15:00), having failed to win in their last four outings. There is already frustration from the fans towards boss Julen Lopetegui and it is going to take a lot of work for him to win them over.

Ipswich delivered their best performance of the season last time out to earn a point against Aston Villa on home soil. They are yet to win a match in the Premier League this season, but they will be sensing an opportunity in east London. Read on for my West Ham vs Ipswich prediction, featuring match odds and team news.

West Ham vs Ipswich Odds

West Ham are 4/5 to win this match, which gives them a theoretical chance of 55.6%. Ipswich are valued at 16/5, giving them an implied probability of 23.8%. The draw is marketed at 13/5 (27.8%).

Both teams to score can be backed at 8/13, while over 2.5 goals is available at 4/6.

Ipswich forward Liam Delap has three goals in the top-flight already, and he is 15/2 to open the scoring at the London Stadium. West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek has two goals to his name so far and he is 11/4 to find the back of the net at any stage during this contest.

Football Odds

Team News 

Michail Antonio looks set to lead the line for the Hammers once more as summer arrival Niclas Fullkrug continues to recover from a calf injury that he picked up on international duty with Germany last month.

However, Lopetegui could perhaps turn to either fringe forward Danny Ings to lead the line, or even Jarrod Bowen, who has played there on occasion over the past year. Midfielder Edson Alvarez is available to return to the middle of the park after serving his suspension last time out against Brentford.

Guido Rodriguez looks the most likely to drop out for the Mexican, seeing as Soucek is proving to be a vital player for the West Ham boss at this moment in time.

Defender Jean-Clair Todibo was given his full Premier League debut against the Bees as he partnered Max Kilman in the heart of the back line, while Emerson Palmieri and Aaron Wan-Bissaka should retain their places at full-back.

Ipswich will assess the fitness of duo Nathan Broadhead and Harry Clarke as both have recently returned to training following their respective injuries. Boss Kieran McKenna must decide whether to keep Jack Clarke out on the left for this match or turn to fellow summer recruit Sammie Szmodics, to help keep things fresh.

Wes Burns, who has been a key figure in Ipswich's rise to the top-flight, is likely to be kept on the bench as Chiedozie Ogbene is currently favoured on the right flank. The back four of Leif Davis, Dara O'Shea, Jacob Greaves and Axel Tuanzebe should keep their places in the side, while Kalvin Phillips and Sam Morsy look set to continue operating in the middle of the park.

Ipswich to win @ 16/5

I was very impressed with the way Ipswich played against Villa last week, particularly in the second half, and it would've been a fair result if they snatched the victory at the death.

That performance will have given McKenna's players a lot of confidence moving forward, and it feels like they are not too far away from securing their first win of the campaign. I am of that opinion, and I can see those three points coming this weekend when they head to east London to face West Ham.

One point and one place in the table separates these two sides heading into Saturday and one thing I will say is that we have seen more structure from the Tractor Boys than we have the Hammers.

Teams who have played West Ham this term have found a lot of joy just playing through them. The recent defeat to Chelsea was a prime example of that. Nicolas Jackson's runs were catching the defence out constantly, and I think Ipswich will look to exploit this on Saturday.

Having matched a side in the Champions League, the visitors will feel as though they are more than a match for a struggling West Ham side, who don't look close to clicking under Lopetegui yet.

The back line is fragile, and while the two defences have conceded the same amount of goals (10), I am more confident in the visitors' back four than I am of West Ham's.

Despite waiting for their first win, Ipswich have been competitive so far with four consecutive draws, so they are edging closer to picking up their first three points of the campaign, and I have a feeling that they will come out on top in this contest.

Liam Delap anytime goalscorer @ 12/5

This man will be full of confidence after scoring a brace last weekend against Villa, and will be raring to go again on Saturday. Delap's tally for the season now stands at three and I think it will be extended this weekend when he gets the chance to profit against a chaotic West Ham back line.

The England Under-21 international has been impressing for the Tractor Boys so far and it isn't just for his goals but his overall centre-forward play. I mentioned earlier how Chelsea were able to exploit gaps in the Hammers' defence with pace and well-timed runs of Jackson, and I believe Delap can have the same kind of fortune.

It wasn't until this season that I realised just how quick he is. I remember seeing a clip of him against Brighton & Hove Albion where he sprinted most of the pitch before hitting the post, as a number of Seagulls defenders couldn't deal with his pace.

His speed and precision will make him a huge asset for Ipswich this year and I won't be surprised to see him reach double figures in the top-flight. If West Ham's defence continues to be as chaotic as they have been so far this term, then it should be quite simple for Delap to score for the second successive match.

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