ENG. CHAMPIONSHIP BETTING PREVIEW - WEST HAM UNITED VS CHARLTON ATHLETIC

Eng. Championship

2026-08-22 - West Ham United vs Charlton Athletic

A Sports Betting Preview by Auls

West Ham United v Charlton Athletic
Football: English Championship
Saturday 22nd August 2026 - Kick Off 3pm

---

West Ham United

There are a lot of issues to deal with off the field, but the West Ham United squad has been improved with the addition of Joel Piroe from Leeds United and they remain favourites for automatic promotion. Nuno Espirito Santo will have been frustrated with his team for blowing a 0-2 lead at Burnley on the opening weekend, especially with less than ten minutes remaining, but it was a game in which West Ham United showed their qualities for long periods and that will give them confidence.

When all is said and done, a point at Turf Moor is likely to be seen as a positive result, but West Ham United have to be aware of the challenges that will face them in the Championship. While Burnley have ambitions that likely match their own, The Hammers will be going into most matches as the 'bigger club' than their opponent and that likely means the fans are going to have to stick with the players when teams have been set up to be hard to beat.

West Ham United opened the season with a comfortable win over Portsmouth in the League Cup First Round and they have won 4 of the last 5 games played at the London Stadium going back to the end of the season in the Premier League. The exception is the narrow loss to eventual Champions Arsenal, but West Ham United have scored at least twice in all 4 of the wins in that run of games.

Charlton Athletic

It has been a strange week to be a Charlton Athletic fan- the season opened with a come from behind win at The Valley over Derby County, but days later the police had been called because a man had been found dead at the stadium. That will be under investigation and you do have to wonder if that will have an impact on preparation for a big game this Saturday.

Nathan Jones will continue to manage the club having achieved plenty of success at the helm of Luton Town and having already guided Charlton Athletic out of League One and consolidating in the second tier of English Football. This will only be the third season since 2016 that Charlton Athletic have played at this level and it is expected to be a campaign in which the main ambition is to avoid the drop back into League One.

Charlton Athletic ended last season with a single win from the last 9 Championship games played, but they have beaten Cheltenham Town in the League Cup and Derby County in the Championship to open this season. The win at Cheltenham Town came away from home and The Addicks have lost just 1 of the last 9 on their travels in all competitions.

Head to Head

West Ham United beat Charlton Athletic 3-0 at home in the League Cup in September 2020.

4 of the last 6 games hosted by West Ham United against this opponent have ended in a home win.

Prediction

Over the last fifteen years, West Ham United have been used to playing London derby games against the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, but this season is going to be very different.

Most fans would have circled the double-header against Millwall, but Charlton Athletic host games just under seven miles from the London Stadium and there are some bragging rights at play.

For a long time last weekend, it looked like West Ham United would join Charlton Athletic in picking up the first three points of the season, but they were not able to hold onto a 0-2 lead at Burnley.

Nathan Jones' Charlton Athletic had come from behind to beat Derby County at home twenty-four hours before West Ham United played at Turf Moor and The Addicks have to be respected having lost just 9 away League games last season.

They actually won at Portman Road and the King Power Stadium so Charlton Athletic will not be too concerned about having to visit the London Stadium.

However, The Hammers look the clear best team in the Division and Nuno Espirito Santo has found a formula that has led to 4 wins in the last 5 matches played at the London Stadium.

West Ham United have been scoring plenty of goals in that run and can get the better of this local rival with a win by a couple of goals on the day.

The Pick :

West Ham United 3-1 Charlton Athletic

FIXED ODDS BETTING :

I'll back West Ham United - 1.25 Asian Handicap at 1.85 with Bet365