Man United vs Nottingham Forest Prediction, Odds and Lineups: Best bets for Saturday's clash at Old Trafford

Nottingham Forest head back to Manchester after a midweek defeat to Manchester City, this time to take on Manchester United.

Saturday's matchup between Man United vs Nottingham Forest kicks off at 5:30pm and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.

Tom Winch has previewed the match and picked out his best bets.

Ruben Amorim was an appointment that all Manchester United fans approved. The Portuguese manager was highly successful at Sporting and is on a work in progress at Old Trafford. Instant success shouldn't be expected with a rebuild is needed.

Forest, 7th, have had a solid campaign to date. They were beaten by Manchester City midweek and now face a United side who showed nothing when they visited the Emirates.

The hosts are significant favourites at 8/13, which is a price that doesn’t appeal. Forest have had a tough run of games, losing three of their previous four to Newcastle, Arsenal, and City. I’m sure they’ll make this a tightly contested affair. Only Liverpool and Arsenal have a better xGA statistic. Despite United smashing Everton 4-0, they created just 1.07xG.

It’s a market that isn't much fun, especially if you’re tuning in to watch. This encounter could see limited goal-scoring opportunities. A combined 14 matches from 24 in the Premier League this season have seen two or fewer goals. The visitors will be desperate to improve defensively after conceding three on Wednesday night. Amorim’s side created 0.03xG in open play against Arsenal and conceded both goals from a corner in was a dull affair overall.

Both teams will fancy their chances with the pressure is on the home side. Amorim will be hoping he can continue his winning run at Old Trafford but I don’t think they’ll have it easy, given Forest can shut up shop. The away side has achieved five shutouts so far and has conceded multiple times on four occasions. United managed six clean sheets in 14, and only Liverpool racked up more. Two solid defences are going up against one another, and I think a low-scoring affair could be an angle to attack.

United have transitioned into Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 formation. They’re likely to be more stable defensively and have some authority about them. It’ll take some time for the players to feel comfortable within their roles and the manager is still yet to know his best team. I’d expect he’ll make some changes from the side that started against Arsenal. Leny Yoro may start for the first time, whilst Amad, Zirkzee and Rashford could play from the get-go.

Nottingham Forest have relied on Chris Wood for goals this season. The New Zealand international has scored nine times. Callum Hudson-Odoi has netted twice, with five others all notching one. If United can limit the 32-year-old, finding the back of the net could be a challenge for the away side.

Defences could and should come out on top on Saturday evening. Yes, that United attack can cause plenty of damage if they click. Nuno will be eager to set up differently from previous weeks. Here’s hoping for a dull display.

There’s a reeal player in Amad Diallo who I’m expecting the Ivorian to have a busy evening at Old Trafford. The 22-year-old was excellent in their victory over Everton, assisting two goals. He was a substitute against Arsenal but Amorim will likely start the youngster in the clash with Forest.

Since Amorim’s arrival, Diallo has registered seven shots. Two arrived at Ipswich, three came against Bodo within 30 minutes, and he recorded two here last time out. He’ll have confidence arriving here. I’m sure he can register at least two attempts.

Diallo has committed a foul in each of his three previous appearances. He’ll want to impress his new boss, which may force him to become overeager. Jota Silva played on the left for Forest midweek. If he plays in the same position, the Diallo foul angle has every chance. Jota Silva is fouled 3.26 times per 90, a hefty amount. Callum Hudson-Odoi may feature from the first whistle. He’s been fouled in four matches from six away from home.

It’s Diallo’s time to shine. The double looks like a great angle to cheer on.

Man United vs Nottingham Forest Lineups

Defenders Luke Shaw, Jonny Evans, and Victor Lindelof are all ruled out for the hosts.

Danilo and Ibrahim Sangare are still out for Nottingham Forest.

The starting lineups for Man United vs Nottingham Forest will be displayed in the graphic below once the team news has been announced.