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

#AD, 18+ T&C apply!

There’s a proper Premier League scrap coming up on Sunday when Nottingham Forest welcome Tottenham to the City Ground. It’s one of those fixtures that matters at both ends of the table — an opportunity for the hosts to pull clear of trouble and for the visitors to climb into the European mix. Expect a pulse-raising affair, full of physical battles and set-piece potholes that a well-drilled Forest side under Sean Dyche loves to exploit.

The form lines make for spicy reading: Forest have been sturdier at home this season while Spurs arrive with a threadbare squad. If you like digging around the market for value, our Tips and Predictions are worth a gander — and for a wider view of the market check the top football betting sites for comparison odds before placing anything.

There’s also plenty of narrative to enjoy — last season’s double over Tottenham still stings in North London, while the visitors will point to their superior quality on the ball. This is football theatre: rivalry, pressure and a manager-versus-manager chess match. Punters will be watching the odds closely and pundits will be busy splitting hairs.

Odds and Predictions

The pre-game numbers make this a coin toss. Bookmakers have given the hosts a narrow advantage and the market reflects a very small margin between the three outcomes. Those odds suggest a tight, low-scoring game where margins will be decided on details rather than fireworks. Use the market — but don’t be a slave to it.

Here’s a snapshot of typical pre-match odds that have been circulating: HOME: 6/4 (2.50) – 40% | DRAW: 23/10 (3.30) – 30.3% | AWAY: 7/4 (2.75) – 36.4%. The bookies are implying a slight home lean, so value bettors might look at the home win or low-scoring handicaps depending on team news.

From a pundit’s perspective, the prediction is for a tight 1-0 win to the hosts. That scoreline is plausible given Forest’s recent home form and Tottenham’s injury woes. However, if Spurs arrive with the likes of Kulusevski or Maddison fit — big ifs — the match opens up and the market could shift towards a draw or away win. For now, our tip sits with the underdogs.

Remember: odds move. Keep tabs on line-ups and late injuries before committing. The blend of statistics and gut feels gives you the smart edge: back a disciplined Forest performance and expect a scrappy win rather than a goal-fest.

Comparison and Statistics

When you dig into the H2H and head to head history, there’s balance and recent twists. Forest completed the double over Tottenham last season, which gives the home side a psychological boost. Yet historically Spurs had enjoyed a run of victories prior to that, so momentum has swung both ways.

Form tables flatten out the talking points: Tottenham have managed just one win in their last six Premier League fixtures, while Forest have looked more resolute at the City Ground under Dyche. A telling stat is that only one team has found the net in each of Forest’s last four league games — that screams low-scoring, tight affairs where defences are on top.

Goals scored and conceded tell a similar tale. Forest’s matches have often been decided by small margins; their ability to grind out results at home is a real factor. Spurs’ attacking talent still poses a threat, but their defensive disruptions — forced by absences — could make them vulnerable to counters and set-pieces.

In short: the H2H gives the home side hope, the form table gives them momentum, and the statistical indicators point to a close, cagey contest. That’s the perfect setup for bettors seeking value in the markets rather than chasing big-score roulette.

Expected Line-ups

Sean Dyche is likely to stick to the template that has brought solidity. Expect Sels between the sticks with a back four marshalled by Milenkovic and Murillo. The midfield will be built for bite and ballast — Sangare and Anderson doing the dirty work while Gibbs-White pulls the strings. Up front, Jesus or a fit Awoniyi (if he makes it) will be tasked with finishing the scraps.

Probable Forest XI: Sels; Savona, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Anderson, Sangare, Hutchinson; Gibbs-White, Ndoye, Jesus. Dyche’s selection headache will centre on fitness calls — Angus Gunn, Ryan Yates and Ola Aina are out, while Taiwo Awoniyi is a late fitness test.

Thomas Frank’s Tottenham will be patched up rather than pristine. Expect Vicario in goal and a defence that mixes experience with makeshift solutions. Midfield creativity could be light without Maddison and Bissouma, so look for Bentancur and Kudus to cover ground and Kolo Muani or Richarlison to lead the line — someone who can chase and press relentlessly.

Probable Tottenham XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Gray, Bentancur, Kudus; Simons, Kolo Muani, Richarlison. The long injury list — Maddison, Kulusevski, Solanke, Udogie and others — means Frank must adapt his tactics; expect a compact shape and counter-oriented plan.

How Will the Season Pan Out

This match has ramifications. For Forest, three points here would ease relegation concerns and build a platform for survival football that Dyche specialises in. A home win injects confidence into the squad and could kickstart a run of results that takes them clear of the drop zone.

For Tottenham, failure risks stalling a push for top-four or Champions League qualification. Their season already rides on squad depth and fitness; more dropped points increase pressure and scrutiny on Frank. If the injury list clears and the creative players return, they’ll still be contenders — but the timing matters.

Looking further ahead, expect Forest to be embroiled in a dogfight where pragmatism wins out. Tottenham’s campaign will hinge on return to full fitness and consistency in front of goal. There’s plenty of season left, but this is a fixture that could tilt momentum. For those collecting Tips and Predictions across the campaign, games like this are where you either make bank or learn the hard way.

In the end, my call is cautious and very much in keeping with the market and the match dynamics: a narrow win for the home side, decided by grit rather than glamour. Back the 1-0 and be mindful of late team news — and, as ever, bet responsibly.

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”