Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham

The City Ground 14 December - 14:00

Nottingham

Tottenham

Recommended tip Win for Nottingham Forest

1: 2.52 X: 3.30 2: 2.80

1: 2.60 X: 3.25 2: 2.75

1: 2.50 X: 3.30 2: 2.88

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There’s a proper mid-December heavyweight waiting for us at the start of the weekend as Nottingham Forest welcome Tottenham to the City Ground. Frankly, this one has everything — a club punching above its weight under Sean Dyche, a Spurs side desperate to climb the table and several injury headlines that have supporters and punters scribbling furiously. It matters because three points here could swing momentum wildly: Forest to shore up their survival bid, Spurs to nick themselves back into European contention.

Form and rivalry add spice. Forest have been robust at home under Dyche, picking up encouraging results and turning the City Ground into a place visitors dread. Tottenham, meanwhile, have been a mixed bag of late, their away form masking some glaring absences. The talking points are clear — can Dyche’s men bully the North Londoners, or will Frank’s team show enough quality despite a litany of missing names?

There’s plenty to chew over for those after Predictions and Tips. The odds are tight and the headlines are juicy, which is exactly the sort of fixture that separates casual viewers from those placing a shrewd bet. If you’re shopping around, don’t forget to compare markets on the recommended football betting sites before you back anything — value is everything in fixtures this close.

Expect a cagey opening, a strong atmosphere and a game that could easily be decided by one moment of brilliance or a set-piece. Both managers know what’s at stake, and Sunday at the City Ground promises to be a proper test of nerve for players and punters alike.

Odds and Predictions

The bookmakers have the match priced as a real scrap. Current pre-game odds suggest a narrow advantage for the hosts and that’s reflected in the market moves — the bookies aren’t screaming one-way traffic. The listed prices (Ladbrokes) put the home win at around 6/4 (2.50), the draw 23/10 (3.30) and the away win 7/4 (2.75). Those odds tell us one thing: this is too close to call on paper.

Translating those prices into implied probabilities gives roughly 40% for a Forest success, 30% for a draw and 36% for Spurs. Not a massive gap and plenty of room for in-play swings. From a Tips perspective, the market is nudging us towards a home win but with caution — backing Forest without a hedge is sensible only if you’ve accounted for Spurs’ quality on the counter and set-pieces.

As a pundit, I’ll say this: the predictions I’m leaning to are low-scoring and physical. A 1-0 or 2-1 outcome feels likely given both teams’ recent defensive records and the injury lists. The correct score tip in our notebook is 1-0 to Nottingham Forest — a narrow Dyche victory driven by organisation and a big moment from the midfield or a set-piece.

Odds can and will shift as teams confirm line-ups and last-minute fitness tests come through. If you’re after a kicker, consider a Forest win at enhanced odds or a Forest to win and under 3.5 goals market — those blend the probability and the expected style of the match.

Comparison and Statistics

Head-to-head history is an odd beast here. The recent H2H record favours Nottingham Forest if you look back to last season — Forest completed the double over Spurs — but Tottenham had a previous run of wins before that. In short, both sides have reasons to feel encouraged, and past meetings suggest the pair produce tight, competitive encounters rather than goal fests.

Looking at form tables, Forest have been steadier at home. Sean Dyche’s side have picked up ten points from a possible 15 at home in all competitions recently and look harder to break down in their own backyard. Tottenham’s away form is decent, but injuries have blunted their cutting edge and left them vulnerable to physical midfield battles.

Goals scored and conceded tell a story of balance rather than dominance. Forest have tended to see games where just one side finds the net — four of their last league fixtures had only one team scoring — while Spurs have shown moments of brilliance tempered by defensive lapses. Expect a tight game with few clear chances; set pieces and transitional moments could be decisive.

Expected Line-ups

Dyche looks set to pick a robust XI built on organisation. With Angus Gunn out and Chris Wood still sidelined, the goalkeeper recall in this briefing points to Matz Sels returning between the sticks — a calming presence. The backline will likely be compact: Milenkovic and Murillo pairing up with a wingback system that helps nullify Spurs’ wide threats.

Predicted Forest XI: Sels (GK), Savona, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams, Anderson, Sangare, Hutchinson, Gibbs-White, Ndoye, Jesus. Dyche’s tactics are pragmatic — expect midfield density, quick vertical balls to unsettle Spurs and a willingness to defend narrow when required.

Tottenham’s injury list reads like a handbrake — Maddison, Kulusevski, Solanke and Bissouma absent among others — which forces Thomas Frank into pragmatic selections. Expect a back four with Gray and Spence providing width and Bentancur holding the midfield alongside Kudus when fit.

Predicted Spurs XI: Vicario (GK), Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence, Gray, Bentancur, Kudus, Simons, Kolo Muani, Richarlison. Key tactical notes: Spurs will look to exploit transitions and set pieces, and without Maddison’s creative spark they may rely on Kolo Muani’s direct running.

Suspensions currently aren’t a headline issue, but late fitness tests — particularly for Taiwo Awoniyi on the Forest side — could swing selection and the betting markets. Any surprise inclusions will be reflected quickly in the odds and should be watched closely by anyone placing in-play stakes.

How Will the Season Pan Out

This match is an early-season six-pointer with larger implications. For Forest, points at home are the lifeblood of a survival push and getting past Tottenham would be a statement result in Dyche’s project. A win could anchor them away from the drop and provide a morale boost that carries through the winter fixtures.

For Tottenham, the fixture is about damage limitation and momentum. A victory propels them back into the mix for European spots — potentially as high as fifth — but a loss could see them slip and heap pressure on an already stretched squad. This is a period where squad depth matters more than ever, and Spurs’ ongoing injury issues might define their season trajectory.

Looking further ahead, Forest have the makings of a side that can grind out results and punch above expectations if Dyche’s defensive blueprint continues to stick. Tottenham, meanwhile, still possess the quality to finish strongly if fitness returns and form stabilises. In the bigger picture, this clash could be one of those results fans point to as decisive come May.

My season view: Forest will likely stay clear of the drop if they maximise home points; Spurs will push for a Europa League place but need reinforcements and a cleaner injury run to truly challenge the top four. For punters, this match offers value in home-backed markets given the style clash and current squad situations.

Final thought — back the home side for a gritty 1-0 victory if you want a classic Dyche result, or take a cautious small-stakes play on a draw if you fear Spurs’ missiles on the break. Either way, this is the kind of Premier League fixture that reminds you why we love the league: unpredictability with a generous dollop of drama.

Written by:

Mark Brown

Chief Statistician

Bio:

Football bores me to tears! I’m not interested in the Rooney’s and Ronaldo’s of the world, but I am interested in betting. With that in mind, I spend hours trawling through the statistics of the football markets and can usually come up with an angle which presents a viable betting opportunity.

Key contributions:

Chief statistician or Stato, as my colleagues like to call me

Personnel betting philosophy or quotes:

“Risk wisely, gain greatly”