After falling to a 2-3 defeat at home to Bournemouth on his managerial debut for the club, boss Nuno Espírito Santo saw his Nottingham Forest side put in an impressive shift as they beat Newcastle United 3-1 away at St James' Park.
That eased their recent run of poor form and it also proved to be their first victory in seven Premier League outings, six of which ended in defeat and saw former manager Steve Cooper sacked.
But this home outing versus Manchester United could prove to be a tough affair after the Red Devils came from 2-0 behind at half-time to beat Aston Villa 3-2 at Old Trafford last time out.
Boss Erik ten Hag will be hoping that that result will be the turning point in their campaign, which to this point has proved extremely disappointing.
The Sporting News previews the game below with our prediction and best bets. You can also follow the action live from the City Ground on our blog.
Odds via Unibet.
Notts Forest vs Man United match facts: Kickoff time in Australia
- Date: Sunday, December 31, 2023
- Kickoff time: 4:30 am AEDT
- Location: City Ground (Nottingham, England)
- Last meeting: Manchester United 3-2 Nottingham Forest (August 26, 2023 | Premier League)
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Notts Forest vs Man United prediction, odds
- Moneyline lean: Manchester United (2.20)
- Score prediction: Nottingham Forest 1-2 Manchester United
| NFO win | Draw | MNU win | Both teams to score Y / N | Over / Under 2.5 goals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unibet | 3.20 | 3.75 | 2.20 | 1.61 / 2.25 | 1.70 / 2.16 |
*Odds correct as of December 30.
Notts Forest vs Man United best bet
- Pick: Over 2.5 goals scored
- Odds: 1.70 (Unibet)
Even though Manchester United's Premier League matches this season have averaged just 2.42 goals — the lowest tally of any side in the competition — we're expecting them to flow in this match as they face Nottingham Forest.
Both these sides won their last match while conceding. Forest, in particular, have struggled at the back, keeping just one clean sheet across their nine home league games this campaign.
These two sides also played out a 3-2 United win earlier in the season which makes the over 2.5 goals scored pick a viable option.
Notts Forest vs Man United flier bet
- Pick: Rasmus Højlund to score first
- Odds: 5.80 (Unibet)
After finally getting off the mark in the Premier League to seal Manchester United's 3-2 win from behind against Aston Villa, it seems that Rasmus Højlund is primed to finally find some solid goalscoring form.
He looked lively throughout against the Villans and he was on hand to hit home his side's third goal with a lovely volley on the turn which found the far bottom corner.
Whilst he's struggled in this competition to date, the young Danish forward has excelled in the Champions League, with five goals in six appearances, and after breaking his English top-flight duck, he holds some nice value to open the scoring at the City Ground in this one at 5.80.
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