Forest vs. Bournemouth Odds
| Forest Odds | +100 |
| Bournemouth Odds | +270 |
| Draw | +240 |
| Over/Under | 2.5 (+100 / -135) |
| Day | Time | Saturday | 10 a.m. ET |
| How To Watch | Peacock Premium |
| Odds updated as of Saturday morning via BetMGM. Get up-to-the-minute soccer odds here. | |
Nottingham Forest welcomes Bournemouth to City Ground on Saturday in one of the first relegation six-pointers of the Premier League season.
Forest enters the match following disappointing losses against Tottenham and Manchester City, getting outscored by eight goals in the process.
Meanwhile, things have not gone much better for the Cherries. However, they did secure a point against Wolverhampton after the change of manager.
When teams at the bottom of the table meet, these fixtures are typically low-scoring affairs. And I’m expecting that to be the same here.
Nottingham Forest
At the close of the transfer window this week, Forest brought in more than 15 summer signings to a team that was promoted via the Championship playoffs last season.
Manager Steve Cooper has his work cut out for him in search of his best starting lineup, which needs to focus on strengthening a leaky defense.
A couple of the last additions were former Spurs right-back Serge Aurier and Willy Boly from Wolves, but I’m not sure those will be enough to keep the club in the English top flight.
By The Numbers
- 20th — Forest has the worst expected goals allowed per 90 minutes average (2.48) in the EPL, according to fbref.com.
- 2.6 — Only Bournemouth has averaged less shots on target per match than the Reds through five fixtures.
AFC Bournemouth
Following the humiliating 9-0 loss at Liverpool, Scott Parker became the first EPL manager to be sacked, which came as a huge surprise to many.
Parker guided the Cherries to automatic promotion from the Championship in his first season in charge on the South Coast, but it wasn't enough to keep his job at the club.
In the first managerial position of his career, Gary O’Neil has stepped in as caretaker boss. He did lead the team in the midweek draw against Wolverhampton, while the club searches for a full-time replacement.
By The Numbers
- 20th — Bournemouth is at the bottom of the EPL in multiple attacking categories, including xG (1.8), shots per match (5.2) and shots on target per 90 minutes (2.0), this season.
- 0 — The Cherries haven't scored since the opening weekend of the season.
Betting Analysis & Pick
When I think about this game, Bournemouth is going to park most players behind the ball, so it will be up to Forest to find the breakthrough.
The Reds have found success hitting teams on the counterattack this season, which they won’t be able to do here. So, my best bet is for the total to fall under 2.5 goals at -135 odds at BetMGM ahead of this meeting.
You could also back the Both Teams to Score (No) market, but I want the extra security to cover a 1-1 draw.
The Pick: Total Under 2.5 Goals (-135)
