Nottingham Forest v Bournemouth

Nottingham Forest vs Bournemouth Preview

A poor run of results for Nottingham Forest prompted the departure of former boss, Steve Cooper, following five defeats within their last six games overall in the top flight, while Bournemouth have emerged as one of the form teams in the division in recent weeks as The Cherries picked up a fourth win in five games with a resounding 3-0 win away at Old Trafford against Manchester United.

The recent flurry of defeats for Nottingham Forest against the likes of West Ham, Brighton, Everton, Fulham and Tottenham were just too much to bear for the Forest board and Cooper was shown the exit door with former Wolves manager, Nuno Espirito Santo taking over at the helm.

The Portuguese manager's first priority is to prevent his side from shipping further goals as Forest have conceded 15 goals in their last five games whilst also converting the City Ground back into the fortress it formerly was up until towards the end of November but since then, the hosts have slipped to three defeats on the trot.

Goals could be in short supply here this Saturday though as five of Nottingham Forest's eight home games have resulted in Under 2.5 goals and the arrival of a new manager could shake up Forest's defensive unit for this clash.

Bournemouth produced a horrific start to this season's Premier League campaign as the south coast club failed to win any of their opening nine games overall in the top flight whilst also being handed no fewer than six defeats in the process, thus making The Cherries early candidates for possible relegation.

However, the Bournemouth board saw fit to stick by manager, Andoni Iraola, and their patience and loyalty has been rewarded in spades as the visitors have collected five wins from their subsequent seven games overall in the Premier League which has not only lifted The Cherries out of the bottom three but up into a more respectable looking 14th place in the table.

Recent wins against Burnley, Newcastle United, Sheffield United, Crystal Palace and Manchester United will give Bournemouth plenty of confidence as they make their way up to the east midlands for this upcoming tussle against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, and having won their last three away games on the trot, the south coast visitors will fancy their chances of picking up a result here.

Recent results also suggest Bournemouth hold the upper hand in terms of winning momentum and this could be the catalyst for a possible win on the road for Andoni Iraola's side on Saturday afternoon.

Nottingham Forest v Bournemouth Verdict

Nottingham Forest are expected to tighten up with the arrival of new manager, Santo, so a low-scoring encounter could unfold here with Bournemouth perhaps nicking a narrow win.

Therefore, our main bet will be Under 2.5 goals @ 1.72

Other side bets worth considering:

Bournemouth win @ 2.55

Correct Score: Bournemouth 1-0 @ 10.00