Premier League: Tottenham vs. Nottingham Forest odds, pick, prediction
Steve Cooper’s tenure at Nottingham Forest is on thin ice. After leading Forest back into the Premier League for the first time in two decades and then keeping them up in 2022-23, Cooper was expected to take the Tricky Trees forward this season but the team has underwhelmed. Forest isn’t facing too much heat in the relegation battle just yet, but they are in 17th-place and one poor weekend could put some immense pressure on the club.
Nottingham Forest is a +350 home underdog against Tottenham Hotspur on Friday afternoon.
It sounds weird to say it because they’re a big favorite, but you may not have been able to pick a better opponent for Forest in this situation. Spurs are the better team by a long ways, but they’re flawed and missing their talisman, James Maddison. In other words, Spurs are a beatable favorite and if Forest do get the win, it’s the type of result that could save Cooper’s job.
Even without Maddison, Spurs are an offensive force. Tottenham ranks fourth in the Premier League in goals per game, second in shots per 90 minutes, fourth in big scoring chances created and fourth in non-penalty expected goals. Spurs want the ball, they want to move it quickly and they are happy to take risks in order to create opportunities to score.
Because of their high-risk, high-reward style, teams can punish Spurs on the counterattack. Nottingham Forest will try and do just that by sitting deep and forcing Tottenham to break them down. Slowing things down against Spurs is imperative if you want to upset them as an underdog.
As poor as Forest has been overall this season, one thing they’ve done quite well is prevent big scoring chances. Only three teams in the Premier League have allowed fewer high-quality opportunities than Forest.
This is an ugly bet to make considering the situation at Forest, but this matchup should suit them more than the odds imply. They can absorb pressure from Spurs and hit back on the counter to give themselves a real shot at an upset on Friday.
The Bet: Nottingham Forest +350 (DraftKings)
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