Newcastle United vs Nottingham Forest 2025/26 Premier League Bet Builder & Predictions
Newcastle United vs Nottingham Forest at St. James’ Park on Sunday presents a crucial Premier League encounter between two sides struggling for domestic form. Our football betting expert foresees a nervy but goal-filled affair, predicting a home win, goals for both sides, and the in-form Nick Woltemade to find the net again.
Team News and Context
Newcastle United come into this match reeling from yet another late goal conceded at home, this time a 96th-minute winner for Arsenal in a 1-2 defeat. It’s a worrying trend, following a similar stoppage-time loss to Liverpool earlier in the season.
Compounding their issues is a defensive injury crisis. The Magpies will be without starting centre-back Sven Botman and club captain Jamaal Lascelles, a significant blow to their backline. Furthermore, full-back Tino Livramento was stretchered off against the Gunners with a knee injury and is ruled out.
This defensive vulnerability was exposed last weekend, as they conceded twice from set-pieces, having previously been impervious from dead-ball situations this season.
Nottingham Forest’s situation is arguably more concerning. New manager Ange Postecoglou is still searching for his first victory after five games in charge (two draws, three losses). His first home game ended in a dispiriting 0-1 loss to Sunderland, leaving the club languishing in 17th place.
Forest’s away form is particularly poor, averaging just 0.67 points per game on their travels. They face their own injury woes, with Nicolás Domínguez, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Omari Hutchinson all listed as sidelined, weakening their midfield and defensive options.
Recent Form and Previous Weekend Recap
Newcastle’s recent league form is poor, with an overall Points Per Game (PPG) of just 1. Last Sunday’s 1-2 loss to Arsenal was a bitter pill to swallow after they had taken the lead through Nick Woltemade. Despite controlling parts of the game, their inability to see out the result and the nature of the goals conceded will be a major concern for Eddie Howe. They did, however, have a Champions League fixture in midweek, which could lead to some fatigue.
Nottingham Forest’s winless streak under Postecoglou extended to five matches with their 0-1 home defeat to Sunderland. Despite creating a host of chances in the second half, they were frustrated by an inspired performance from the opposition goalkeeper and a lack of clinical finishing. While the manager sees “signs of encouragement,” the reality is a paltry 0.83 PPG overall this season. They also played in the Europa League on Thursday, meaning both sides enter this clash with similar, short-rest preparation.
Head to Head and Current Standings
Historically, this fixture has been laden with goals, with the last 14 meetings averaging an incredible 3.79 goals per game. The trend for goals continues in recent league encounters, where the average climbs to 4.17 per match.
Newcastle have had the better of the recent exchanges, winning five of the last six league meetings. Both Teams to Score has been a very frequent outcome, landing in 79% of the 14 historical matches and in five of the last six (83%) in the league.
As it stands, the two sides are separated by just one point in the lower echelons of the table. Newcastle are in 15th place with six points, while Nottingham Forest are in 17th with five points.
Key Players to Watch
For Newcastle, the man in form is striker Nick Woltemade. The German has netted two goals in his last three league games, including the opener against Arsenal, and has quickly established himself as the team’s top scorer. His powerful presence will be a handful for a Forest defence that is yet to keep a clean sheet away from home this season.
Facing his former club, Chris Wood will be the focal point for Nottingham Forest’s attack. As their joint-top scorer with two goals this campaign, he will be tasked with exploiting a makeshift Newcastle defence. His aerial ability could be particularly threatening given the hosts’ new-found weakness at defending set-pieces.
Match Prediction and Betting Tips
This is a classic case of a struggling home side meeting an even worse travelling team. Newcastle’s defensive injuries are a huge worry, but Nottingham Forest’s complete lack of form under Postecoglou and their dismal 0.67 PPG away from home is difficult to ignore.
The head-to-head record points overwhelmingly towards goals, and with both defences looking suspect, that trend looks set to continue. Newcastle’s superior record in this fixture and home advantage, however slight, should be just enough to see them through.
Our football betting tips for Newcastle United vs Nottingham Forest are:
Newcastle to Win @ 4/6: Despite their own poor form and injury list, Newcastle have won 5 of the last 6 league H2Hs against Forest. The visitors are winless in five under their new manager and have earned just 0.67 points per game on the road this season.
Both Teams to Score @ 4/5: This has landed in 83% of the last six league meetings. Newcastle are missing key central defenders and just conceded twice from set-pieces, while Forest have failed to keep a single clean sheet in their away matches this term.
Nick Woltemade to Score Anytime @ 13/8: The Magpies’ top scorer is in good form, with two goals in his last three league matches. He faces a Forest defence that concedes an average of 1.67 goals per away game and has a 0% clean sheet record on their travels.
A victory for either side would provide a much-needed boost and breathing space from the bottom of the table, while a defeat, particularly for the visitors, would only intensify the pressure on the new management.
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