Tottenham Hotspur vs Nottingham Forest: Betting Odds & Prediction

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Written by: Tom Johnston

Tottenham Hotspur face Nottingham Forest in a match with key stakes for both sides on Sunday evening.

Spurs continue their push for the Champions League and Forest battle to beat the drop with seven games remaining. Tottenham won the reverse fixture in Nottingham 2-0 earlier this season. Kick-off is set for 6pm at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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Tottenham

Spurs have largely been strong at home this season, winning eleven of their fifteen games (73%) and creating an average of 2.03 expected goals (xG) per game. Their 2-1 home win over Luton Town made it seven wins from eight on home turf, but they had to fight hard for it, and Spurs are making a habit of this. They have conceded the first goal in their past five home games, and will want to avoid that here against a Forest team who excel on the counter-attack. 

After their 1-1 draw at West Ham last time out, Tottenham are fifth in the table, which may be enough to secure Champions League football. They are just two points behind Aston Villa in fourth with a game in hand, and nine ahead of Manchester United in sixth. Ange Postecoglou has exceeded expectations in his first season in charge and produced one of the most entertaining teams in the league, with 87% of Spurs’ home games having over 2.5 goals. Both teams have scored in 87% of their home fixtures as well, including in each of the last eleven games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Brennan Johnson is a doubt to face his former club, which would be a blow as he has two goals and four assists in his last five games. After a slow start to life in London, the winger has found his place in the team so it would be unfortunate if a knock was to derail his momentum. Spurs have a full complement of attacking options to choose from otherwise.

Nottingham Forest

Forest picked up a vital three points in their last match with a 3-1 win at home to Fulham, a result that leaves them sixteenth and moved them three points clear of the relegation zone with seven games to play. They are now unbeaten in their past three games.

In their last away match they drew 1-1 at relegation rivals Luton Town, conceding a last-minute equaliser to deny them a crucial win. The Reds have been poor on the road this season, winning just two of their fifteen games (13%) and having the third-worst record in the league. They have conceded an average of two goals per away game and will need to keep it tight here against a free-scoring Spurs side if they are to have any chance.

Chris Wood has played an integral role in Forest’s battle against the drop this season, scoring in three consecutive games to take his tally to eleven for the year. It is the fifth time he has managed to score at least ten goals in a Premier League season. He has struck up a productive relationship with the mercurial Morgan Gibbs-White, who has also provided an assist in each of the last three games. If those two can continue to create and score then Forest will have a great chance of staying up.

Prediction

Every game is important now as we reach the business end of the season. It has not been as smooth sailing for Spurs recently as it was at times earlier this year, but they have still managed to find a way to grind out results and that is to their credit. Forest have improved of late, seemingly galvanised by their four-point deduction for breaking financial rules, but this is a tough task ahead of them here. OddsNow are backing Tottenham to continue their good home form and win here, with another high-scoring encounter on the cards in North London.

OddsNow’s pick: Tottenham to win and both teams to score (6/4 @ Betfair)

 

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