Nottingham Forest vs Crystal Palace Prediction and Betting Tips: Best Bets from The City Ground

The Premier League returns on Saturday with Nottingham Forest hosting Crystal Palace at The City Ground. Find below our preview for the game, along with our two best bets. 

Both Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace would have welcomed the recent international break, albeit for very different reasons. 

Forest were hit by the news of a four-point deduction last week, but given they had put together on a run of five games without a win prior to the break, that penalty could provide some much-needed motivation for Nuno Espirito Santo and his side. 

Meanwhile, Palace had been adapting to Oliver Glasner’s methods relatively well before the March internationals, but that extra period of rest and training without matches should mean they are even closer to the levels the Austrian demands, suggesting we may be about to see a much-improved side from now on. 

Team news

Forest striker Chris Wood suffered another knock before the break and looks set to miss out alongside Gonzalo Montiel, while Ola Aina, Taiwo Awoniyi and Nuno Tavares are doubts but should all at least make the bench. 

As for Palace, their issues are worse. Sam Johnstone has joined Marc Guehi, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, Cheick Doucoure and Rob Holding on the sidelines, however key men Matheus Franca, Michael Olise and Jeffrey Schlupp are all back and available. 

Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1): Sels; Williams, Boly, Murillo, Toffolo; Yates, Sangare; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, Awoniyi

Crystal Palace (3-4-2-1) Henderson; Ward, Andersen, Richards; Munoz, Wharton, Lerma, Mitchell; Olise, Eze; Mateta

Forest look sure to be fired up following their points deduction, with the City Ground likely to feel like a cauldron come Saturday, but that may not be enough to see the relegation-threatened Reds clip the Eagles’ wings. 

Santo’s men have been woeful at home of late, losing seven of their last nine league games on their own patch, and a new-look Palace should have enough to come away from Nottingham with a point in hand. 

The Eagles had already shown signs of improvement under Glasner, racking up 36 shots and 20 corners against Burnley and Luton combined, while also leading Spurs until late on, but they should be even better after a lengthy training camp. 

Olise’s return should help their chances, the last two meetings between the pair have finished level and Palace should have enough to extinguish the fiery atmosphere at the City Ground to earn a point.

One man who could have a big say on things for the hosts, even if not doing enough to earn all three points for the Reds, is Morgan Gibbs-White. 

The former Wolves man has enjoyed another solid season in Nottingham and all but one of his four goals this term have come at the City Ground, so he may be about to light up the cauldron once more. 

Gibbs-White has registered 11 shots in his last five home matches, while his creativity has been on full display of late too, as the midfielder has created 14 chances for his teammates in his last five appearances. 

He is usually at the heart of everything Forest do going forward and, given he has scored one and assisted the other of the Reds’ two goals against Palace since their return to the top-flight, Gibbs-White looks set to impact things against the Eagles once more.