Nottingham Forest host Tottenham Hotspur at The City Ground on Sunday, 6 September at 12:00 am AEST, with both sides desperate to shake off underwhelming starts to the campaign. Forest sit 15th on the ladder with a draw and a loss, while Spurs prop up the table in 20th, winless and yet to find the net after two rounds.
The home side salvaged a point in their last outing, drawing 2–2 away to Liverpool on 29 August after opening with a narrow 0–1 home defeat to Leeds United. Spurs, meanwhile, arrive on the back of consecutive losses — a 0–3 drubbing at Brentford followed by a 0–2 home reverse against Newcastle United. The visitors' goal drought is the starkest narrative here: zero goals scored, five conceded, and a point differential of minus-five.
The market has Spurs as slight favourites at 2.65, though that price has firmed from an opening 2.7 as punters back the away side to break their duck. Forest are out to 2.5, with the draw drifting to 3.4. It sets up as a contest between a Forest outfit that has shown some attacking spark and a Spurs side hunting its first goal of the season.
Who will win at The City Ground?
Forest's home record is thin — just the one outing at The City Ground, a 0–1 loss to Leeds — but their willingness to have a go was on show at Anfield, where they twice found the net against Liverpool. That 2–2 draw suggests they can trouble a Spurs defence that has conceded in both starts, albeit against lower-ranked opposition.
Tottenham's form makes grim reading. The 0–3 defeat at Brentford was followed by a 0–2 home loss to Newcastle, and the visitors have yet to register a goal. Their attacking woes are compounded by the fact that both losses came by margins of two and three goals, leaving them at the foot of the ladder with zero points from two games.
With Spurs' price firming from 2.7 to 2.65, punters clearly sense value in the away side correcting course here. Forest's ability to score against Liverpool gives them a chance, but the weight of expectation sits with the visitors, who simply must start picking up points. The class gap between the squads tilts this one toward Spurs, even if their early form suggests otherwise. Our epl predictions lean toward the away side edging it, but Forest's home crowd and recent goal-scoring form keep this far from straightforward.
Tipped at $2.65 (5:43 am AEST). Opinion, not a guarantee. Gamble responsibly — 18+.
Head-to-head context
Season and last-five scoring — context for the match-winner market.
Can Spurs cover the -2 goal handicap?
The line market has Forest getting a two-goal start, with Spurs priced at 1.16 to cover the -2 handicap and the hosts out at 13 on the +2. Given Tottenham's inability to score in two attempts, asking them to win by three clear goals feels a stretch, even against a side that has conceded just three goals across two games.
Forest's 0–1 home loss to Leeds was a tight affair, and their 2–2 draw at Liverpool shows they're capable of staying in the contest. Spurs' two defeats came by margins of two and three goals, but those losses were inflicted upon them — there's no evidence yet that they can dish out that kind of punishment. The -2 line demands a dominant performance from a side that hasn't yet clicked, and while the 1.16 price reflects the market's view that Spurs should win, covering the handicap is another matter entirely.
Odds subject to change. Gamble responsibly — 18+.
Total Goals: punters backing the Over
The Total Goals market is set at 2.5, with the Over firming from 1.86 to 1.83 and the Under drifting from 1.9 to 1.92. That move tells the story: punters expect goals despite Spurs' scoreless start.
Forest have found the net twice in two games — both strikes coming in the Liverpool draw — and have conceded three times. Spurs have shipped five goals in two outings without reply, but the market clearly anticipates that drought ending here. Forest's willingness to attack, evidenced at Anfield, combined with Spurs' defensive frailties, sets the table for an open contest.
Three goals would see the Over salute, and with Forest having already shown they can score against top opposition and Spurs desperate to break their duck, the firming Over price reflects genuine confidence that this one produces chances. The Under has drifted for good reason — neither defence has locked things down, and the attacking intent should be there from both sides.
Tipped at $1.83 (5:43 am AEST). Opinion, not a guarantee. Gamble responsibly — 18+.
Total goals
Combined score from recent completed games · marker shows live line 2.5.
Hit rate vs 2.5
Same Game Multi punts
A few Same Game Multi combinations are doing the rounds for this one. Tottenham to win with Mykhaylo Mudryk to score anytime is priced at 7.5, while Over 4.5 goals combined with Mudryk anytime sits at 12. On the Forest side, Morgan Gibbs-White to score anytime, Nottm Forest to win, and both teams to score is out at 6.25.
Those prices reflect the various narratives: Spurs breaking through with a named scorer, or Forest leveraging home support to grab all three points in a high-scoring affair. The 15 available for Gibbs-White anytime, the draw, and Over 3.5 goals is the roughie's roughie — a punt on chaos, essentially.