Nottingham Forest vs Sunderland: Three fancies for Saturday's late kick-off
Nottingham Forest host Sunderland in a 5:30pm BST kick-off on Saturday at the City Ground. It will be the first time the two clubs have faced each other in the top flight of English football since 1997.
Home manager Ange Postecoglou takes charge of his first game in front of the City Ground faithful, with the Australian still looking to get his first taste of victory with the club. Can a stubborn Black Cats side be broken down?
Odds Now football writer Steve Day picks out 13/5, 21/10, and 3/1 bets for this upcoming clash in the English top division.
Postecoglou has now been in the dugout at Forest for four competitive matches, and he's still awaiting his first win with his new club.
The former Tottenham gaffer is priced at 5/6 with William Hill to lead his team to all three points here. It's got to happen at some point. There have been encouraging signs in the last three matches, but the club remain down in 15th position and desperately want that precious victory to really get the Ange era started.
It's also worth noting that Forest have taken the lead in two of their previous three competitive matches. They are listed at 4/6 to score first in this encounter with William Hill.
Sunderland come into this game sitting in a lofty seventh place, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City at the top end of the table.
Regis Le Bris' men have only lost one of their five league games so far. However, they have only picked up a couple of victories during that run and are available at 7/2 to win this one with Bet365. The Wearsiders are proving hard to beat at the very least.
Given the midweek rigours of European competition, where Nottingham Forest were held to a 2-2 draw away to Real Betis in the UEFA Europa League, combined with Sunderland's stubbornness so far this season, it feels like backing the draw at 13/5 with Unibet is a strong value angle. A draw and BTTS is 6/1 with BetMGM if you're feeling braver.
It may be early days into the reign of "Ange-ball", but it's already becoming clear that one player is adapting to the new playing philosophy like a duck to water.
Striker Igor Jesus bagged a brace in the midweek draw out in Spain verus Real Betis. This comes just a week after the Brazilian frontman scored 2 goals in the Carabao Cup exit to Swansea.
Jesus is valued at 21/10 to score anytime with BetMGM, 11/2 with Unibet to be the first scorer, and 13/1 with Virgin Bet to score 2 goals or more.
Given his recent fine form, those odds feel too good to ignore, particularly anytime scorer. It may be worth holding to see if Postecoglou opts for Chris Wood from the start instead – though Jesus is certainly making himself tough to drop.
The last time I covered a Nottingham Forest betting preview, I mentioned a few players I thought could be susceptible to receiving a yellow card. Morgan Gibbs-White, Ryan Yates and Elliott Anderson were all touted.
Who was the only Forest player to get booked in that game? Neco Williams! Williams also picked up a booking in the 3-1 win over Brentford earlier in the season. The Welshman is 9/2 with Sky Bet to receive a card here.
Sunderland appear to have a few candidates who are likely culprits for a booking. Swiss international Granit Xhaka is the man who stands out the most amongst the contenders for me, though.
The former Arsenal skipper is priced at 3/1 with Bet365 to receive a card in this game and though he's showed some restraint since returning compared with his old style, this feels like the kind of fixture where his dark arts may come in useful.
5pts – Draw - 13/5 (Unibet)
0.5pts - Igor Jesus anytime scorer - 21/10 (BetMGM)
0.5pts - Granit Xhaka to receive a yellow card - 3/1 (Bet365)
Steve Day is a seasoned content writer and editor for Odds Now, with over 15 years of experience in the sports betting industry.
Steve has written for a number of high-profile sites, including Football League World, Punters Lounge, and Cricket365.
His main area of expertise is football betting, where his understanding of the game and betting markets has enabled him to provide expert tips and analysis over the years. He also dips his toes into other sports including horse racing, cricket, and ice hockey.
Steve is a lifelong Cardiff City FC fan and is a follower of the Wales national football team. He can often be found taking in Glamorgan Cricket Club matches at Sophia Gardens and Cardiff Devils ice hockey matches at the Vindico Arena.
Steve Day is a seasoned content writer and editor for Odds Now, with over 15 years of experience in the sports betting industry.
Steve has written for a number of high-profile sites, including Football League World, Punters Lounge, and Cricket365.
His main area of expertise is football betting, where his understanding of the game and betting markets has enabled him to provide expert tips and analysis over the years. He also dips his toes into other sports including horse racing, cricket, and ice hockey.
Steve is a lifelong Cardiff City FC fan and is a follower of the Wales national football team. He can often be found taking in Glamorgan Cricket Club matches at Sophia Gardens and Cardiff Devils ice hockey matches at the Vindico Arena.
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The Premier League has confirmed the matchday officials for Saturday's clash with Nottingham Forest 🤝⤵️
