Nottingham Forest vs Man United Odds & Picks

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29 December 2023

Nottingham Forest vs Man United Odds & Picks

Manchester United have been struggling on the road for some time, but a matchup with lower-rung Nottingham Forest may be just what they need to right the ship. See what our EPL betting picks think.

Nottingham Forest will hope to claim their first win over Manchester United in nearly 30 years when they host the Red Devils at The City Ground on Saturday. Our Premier League odds have Man United as favorites to continue their dominance as the away side.

Forest picked up their first win under new manager Nuno Espirito Santo on Boxing Day with a 3-1 win over struggling Newcastle. Erik ten Hag’s time at Manchester United looked like it might be coming to an end on Boxing Day, but they overcame a 2-0 deficit to Aston Villa with three second-half goals in a thriller at Old Trafford.

Can Nottingham Forest end their nightmare and stop a 10-match losing streak to Man United, or will the Red Devils end a four-match winless streak on the road? Our soccer betting picks and predictions for Nottingham Forest vs. Manchester United on December 30 explain why this should be an entertaining and balanced match.

Nottingham Forest vs Man United best odds

EPL predictions for Nottingham Forest vs Man United

A 3-0 win at Everton on November 26 is the last time the Red Devils scored an away goal in the Premier League. Since then, they’ve traveled away to Newcastle, Liverpool, and West Ham without a single player finding their name on the score sheet.

But those sides are all in the top half of the table, and the Red Devils have never defeated a Top 9 team away from home since ten Hag took over. What they have done is gotten goals against the smaller clubs, and they’ve taken points away at Burnley, Fulham, and Everton.

All three of those wins came via a clean sheet, but none were convincing aside from the Everton victory. The eight away goals for Manchester United this season are the second-fewest in the league, as they’ve struggled mightily to convert chances and break down opponents.

But ten Hag may have found something Tuesday when he dropped Antony to the bench in place of Garnacho. His attacking ability balanced the Man United attack — something they’ve badly needed, as no team bases a higher percentage of their attacks down the left than they have this season.

Nottingham Forest looks a new side under Santos. While they fell 3-2 in their first match under his helm, they played with 10 men for more than an hour and looked competitive against Bournemouth.

Their performance away at Newcastle was cause for hope amongst supporters. They held just one-third possession, but had just as many successful dribbles as the Magpies and nearly matched their seven shots on goal.

Santos has shown in previous Premier League posts that he’s not one to try to play out a scoreless draw. And in the two matches since he’s taken over, Chris Wood has enjoyed a resurgence. He’s scored four goals and assisted another while taking seven shots.

Only Luton has allowed a higher percentage of shots from inside the six-yard box than Man United, which bodes well for opposing strikers. The Red Devils also struggle with set pieces, and are prone to leaving themselves open on the counter due to their tendency to turn it over with poor passes and mistakes in the middle of the park.

This lends itself to a perfect situation for Forest to nab at least one goal, or perhaps two —like the two they scored in the first four minutes of their first meeting back in August at Old Trafford. Man United bested them with three on the day, completing the comeback with a penalty in the final quarter of an hour.

We’re backing a repeat of that match on Saturday, as we’re taking a combo play at TonyBet. They’re offering odds of -107 for both teams to score and three or more goals to be had. Given the price of that should be closer to -120, we’ll gladly take it and enjoy what should be an exciting affair.

My best bet: Over 2.5 and both teams to score - Yes (-107 at TonyBet)

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Nottingham Forest vs Man United same-game parlay

Over 2.5 goals Both teams to score Nottingham Forest Over 18.5 tackles

Chris Wood over 0.5 shots on goal

Forest are averaging 19.5 tackles per match this season, and that number tends to go up against better sides. They attempted 21 against Newcastle, and they had 19 in the first matchup this season with Man United. The Red Devils should control possession here, and the compact area around Forest’s penalty box will allow for a higher number of challenges.

When they do get the ball, we’re backing Wood to put at least one effort on goal. He’s had multiple shots on target in his two matches under Santos, and only five teams are allowing more shots on goal this season than the Red Devils. They’re also conceding the fourth-most shots from open play.

Nottingham Forest vs Man United side and Over/Under analysis

The 3-way moneyline sees Man United favored as the away side, with the price dropping a fair amount following their win. Thursday saw their odds drop from around +130 to +115 across the board, with a Forest win going the opposite direction. Still, both are favored above the draw, with Forest getting up to +230 and the draw paying +260.

I’m staying far away from this one, but if forced to bet I’d take the value in the draw. The implied odds are a bit off, and Santos knows a point here is valuable. It won’t be a nil-nil affair, but I have this projected at close to a 2-2 stalemate. Forest have lost their last four matches at home, a key reason they made a managerial change.

That’s another reason I’m going with the Over in this fixture. It’s priced between -135 and -150, so there’s value in shopping around, while the Under is plus-odds across the board.

The hosts tend to be involved in some higher-scoring affairs. Forest has seen nine goals over their last two outings, and there have been three or more goals in seven of their last 11 Premier League matches.

For Man United, it’s been the opposite away from home. Just three of their nine away fixtures have gone Over, but that’s in part because they’ve failed to score in four of those. But this match looks similar to their fixtures at Sheffield Wednesday and Everton, each of which saw three scored.

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Nottingham Forest vs Man United game info

Nottingham Forest vs Man United key injuries

Nottingham Forest: Ibrahim Sangare M (Out), Taiwo Awoniyi F (Out), Serge Aurier D (Out).
Man United: Lisandro Martinez D (Out), Casemiro M (Out), Harry Maguire D (Out).