• Home
  • Soccer
  • Nottingham Forest vs Newcastle United predicted score, key stats and suggested bets

Nottingham Forest vs Newcastle United predicted score, key stats and suggested bets

Nottingham Forest are hoping to avoid getting sucked into a Premier League relegation battle, but face a Newcastle side who are also desperate for the points to reignite their top-four charge.

Date, KO time and TV coverage

Premier League, Friday, March 17, Kick-off 8pm, live on Sky Sports

Predicted score

Nottingham Forest 1-1 Newcastle United

Suggested bets

Nottingham Forest to draw with Newcastle United
Nottingham Forest vs Newcastle United under 2.5 goals

Key stats

There have been over 2.5 goals scored in Nottingham Forest's last three PL games
Forest have seen over 2.5 goals in their last three home matches against Newcastle in all competitions
Nottingham Forest have conceded at least two goals in their last three PL matches
Nottingham Forest have won five of their 13 home PL games
Newcastle have lost just twice from 12 PL away games

Previous meetings

PL: Newcastle 2-0 Nottingham Forest, August 2022
LC: Nottingham Forest 3-1 Newcastle, August 2018
LC: Newcastle 2-3 Nottingham Forest, August 2017
CH: Newcastle 3-1 Nottingham Forest, December 2016
CH: Nottingham Forest 2-1 Newcastle, December 2016

Team news

Brennan Johnson (groin) and Chris Wood (knock) both went off at Spurs and are doubtful. Wayne Hennessey is also set to miss out.
Former Newcastle stars Jonjo Shelvey and Jack Colback will be hoping for starts. Gustavo Scarpa has been back in Brazil and will not feature.
Callum Wilson (illness) missed out against Wolves and will be hoping to return, but Alexander Isak who was his replacement netted in the win. Anthony Gordon missed out last time through injury and Joelinton is banned.
Fabian Schar is expected to start again instead of Jamaal Lascelles and Miguel Almiron is pushing for a start after scoring the winner against Wolves.

Recent form

Nottingham Forest are five games without a win
Nottingham Forest have drawn their last two at home with both teams scoring
Newcastle's 2-1 win over Wolves ended a two-match losing run
Newcastle have failed to score in three of their last four games in all competitions

What has been said?

Steve Cooper after defeat at Spurs: "The first-half performance is really where the game was won and lost. We didn't compete well enough. Regardless of what players play and what formation you play, those things don't matter if you're not competing. I didn't like us in the duels or in the one-v-ones. It just wasn't at the competitive level it needs to be.
"If anything, the disallowed goal should have been the warning sign. We just weren't aggressive enough in the first half."
Eddie Howe after the win over Wolves: "The first-half performance in general was very good. Alexander Isak scored a massive goal for us. When it's a one-goal lead it's very delicate. It should have been more at half-time.
"Wolves came back into the game, but the character shown by the group to go again and get the winning goal is a great feeling for us."

Verdict

This looks like being a game which could swing in the favour of one of the sides once the team news has been confirmed. It may well pay to hang fire with your money until Steve Cooper names his Forest side.
That's easier said than done with a cast of thousands behind the scenes at the City Ground. It's doubtful whether Cooper knows his best XI, but in this day and age it's a squad game and he certainly has plenty of options.
But starting without Brennan Johnson and Chris Wood will not be on Cooper's radar. Both were injured last week and taking seven-goal Johnson out of his side will leave a big dent.
The Wales star has looked like Forest's best attacking player in recent months and he has also recorded a couple of assists, while Wood, who took a big knock at Spurs, scored in the recent draw with Man City.
Those two will be a huge loss against a Newcastle side who do not give much away. According to the xG (1.06) stats, Forest may well be over performing on home soil.
They are in the bottom three of teams at home according to their xG, but they have produced some eye-catching results.
They were slightly fortunate to get draws against Man City and Leeds recently - but they have rolled over Liverpool and have lost just three times at the City Ground.
Still, it would not make sense punting on them without their talisman Johnson, but at 5/1 they seem a big price.
Newcastle got back to winning ways against Wolves last week after back-to-back defeats to the Manchester clubs. Away from home the Geordies have won four, drawn six and lost just twice and those defeats were at Man City and an unfortunate early-season defeat at Anfield.
They are tough to break down and have conceded just nine goals on their travels, while Forest have been leaky at the back recently, conceding at least two goals in four of their last five games.
Eddie Howe's men could still finish in the top four this season, but the 4/6 does not really appeal for a team who have drawn half of their away games.
We would love to pull the trigger on a home win at big odds, but Johnson's absence could well scupper Forest and a draw seems more likely.

More Articles