Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham predictions & betting tips

Spurs plummeted from top spot in the Premier League down to fifth following a five-match winless streak, but got back to winning ways with a 4-1 hammering of the Magpies on home soil. 

Ange Postecoglou’s side can edge their way back into the race for the top four with a win, although they too have a number of injuries to contend with ahead of the festive schedule.  

Tottenham are odds-on favourites with football betting sites to notch a second win on the bounce, while the hosts are priced as 4/1 underdogs. 

After looking at the Premier League odds, here are our predictions for the showdown at the City Ground.

Home form a cause for Forest concern 

Last season, Forest’s form at the City Ground was the foundation of their survival bid. 

The club claimed 30 of their 38 points on home soil, winning eight games and drawing a further six. They suffered just five defeats at the City Ground, although one of those losses came at the hands of Spurs. 

The problem this year for Cooper has been his side’s inability to replicate their home form from last season. After beating Sheffield United in their first match, Forest have only added one further victory in six matches. It’s not as though the Midlands outfit have had a tough schedule either.  

They beat the best team out of the six sides – Aston Villa by a 2-0 margin. However, they threw away a two-goal lead against Luton Town, were held to a 1-1 draw by Burnley and were beaten 1-0 by Everton last time out.

Although it’s not panic stations yet, Forest can ill afford to struggle at home given their atrocious away record, where they’ve won just one of nine games.  

Tottenham battled to earn a point against Manchester City in their last away game, while their win over Newcastle will provide them with a timely boost in confidence. 

They’ve scored in every game on their travels this season and will be eyeing a win to move them back into contention for a Champions League spot.  

Tottenham’s last seven Premier League games have featured over 2.5 goals, so that will also be on our agenda. With our first Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham prediction, we’re backing Spurs to win and over 2.5 goals in the match at odds of 7/5 with BoyleSports. 

Richarlison back on the goal trail 

The relief on Richarlison’s face was palpable after he found the net against Newcastle, ending a seven-game scoring drought in the Premier League. The Brazil international has not found life easy since his move from Everton in 2022. 

Last season he struggled for gametime behind Harry Kane, and since Kane’s departure has failed to replace the England captain as the focal point of Spurs’ attack.  

But, Richarlison was on point to notch a brace against the Magpies aided by brilliance from Son Heung-min and poor keeping from Martin Dubravka. The 26-year-old admitted that he was finding it tough to deal with his lack of form in front of goal.

Postecoglou will now be hopeful that Richarlison's brace in the win over Newcastle will spark a goal glut from the Brazilian. 

Richarlison had been getting into good positions previously, but he failed to convert chances against Liverpool and Luton. Confidence is an elixir for strikers in the final third. Now that he has scored once, he could easily go on a run. 

After looking at the odds on betting apps, we’re taking him to score at the City Ground at 15/8 with bet365. 

Another Romero card? 

Cristian Romero has shown he has not learned much from his red card against Chelsea since his return from suspension. 

He was booked against West Ham and flew into a challenge against Callum Wilson in the win over Newcastle that earned him yet another yellow card.  

Romero’s tackle on Wilson could have warranted a red card on another day, and fortunately for Spurs the game was already secure by that point anyway.

But, the Argentine can be reckless and is always a candidate for a booking.  

Referee Jarred Gillett has been assigned the fixture and has officiated seven Premier League matches. 

He likes to get his yellow card out, averaging 4.86 cautions per game. Romero could catch his eye, and we’re backing the Tottenham defender to collect a booking at odds of 12/5 with Unibet. 

Simon Sinclair is an experienced sports journalist, who has written for national publications for football, cricket, NFL and many more. He contributes tips on a wide range of sports for The Independent.