Leeds vs Nottingham Forest prediction and Premier League betting tips: Forest can stand firm

Leeds United welcome Nottingham Forest to Elland Road on Friday, with both sides level on points in the Premier League table and checking their shoulders at the teams behind them (8pm, Sky Sports Main Event).

The two sides have 26 points from their 24 league games so far and sit six points above the relegation zone, so a win on Friday would be huge for either team.

Leeds have lost just two of their last 11 league games but will be looking to bounce back from a 4-0 thrashing at home by Arsenal last Saturday.

Their only other defeat since November came up at St James’ Park, just over four weeks ago, when the home side scored twice in added time to secure a 4-3 win.

Forest, on the other hand, have lost four of their last eight games and won just two, both away at West Ham and Brentford.

They’ve been unable to pull away from the relegation places under Sean Dyche and are 12/1 on betting sites to go down, while Leeds are 6/1 for an immediate return to the Championship. However, those Premier League odds could change dramatically, depending on the outcome of Friday’s game.

When the two sides met earlier in the season, Leeds were on one of their worst runs of the campaign with just two wins in nine games, before the 3-1 defeat at the City Ground made it four defeats in five.

It was the visitors who took the lead on the day through Lukas Nmecha before Ibrahim Sangare, Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson struck to give Dyche his first league win since taking charge.

Leeds are unbeaten in their last five matches against Forest at Elland Road, although three of those games have ended in draws, so the 12/5 being offered by football betting sites on this one ending all square looks a good option.

Daniel Farke’s side have also only lost one of their last six at home this season and have only lost in front of their own crowd three times, against Tottenham, Aston Villa and Arsenal.

They have drawn eight games so far this season, though, while Forest have drawn three of their last six fixtures in all competitions.

Leeds vs Nottingham Forest prediction 1: Draw & BTTS - 18/5 BetVictor

Morgan Gibbs-White opened the scoring for Forest against Crystal Palace on Sunday, after just five minutes.

Ismaila Sarr then equalised from the penalty spot after defender Nico Williams gave Matz Sels a run for his money with a diving save. He was sent off on the stroke of half-time, but Dyche’s side held on for the much-needed point.

Gibbs-White has six goals and two assists in the league so far this season and seven in 33 appearances in all competitions.

When he has scored previously, he’s usually turned it into two in two games, and he’s priced at 18/5 on betting apps to find the net again on Friday as he did in the previous meeting between the two sides.

Leeds vs Nottingham Forest prediction 2: Gibbs-White to score - 18/5 BetMGM

Leeds: Darlow; Justin, Rodon, Struijk; Bogle, Aaronson, Ampadu, Longstaff, Gudmundsson; Calvert-Lewin, Okafor.

Nottingham Forest: Ortega; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato; Sangare, Anderson; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Dominguez; Jesus

Friday’s game at Elland Road kicks off another busy weekend in the Premier League, with the standout fixture being Liverpool against Manchester City on Sunday.

TalkSPORT BET have a special offer for that game, offering enhanced odds of 30/1 on both teams to score at Anfield.

To claim the offer, bettors will need to open an account via the link above, opt in to the promotion and then make a first deposit of £5 or more. Finally, punters will need to wager a maximum of £1 on both teams to score in the Liverpool vs Manchester City match market at the normal odds.

Should both sides hit the net on Sunday, talkSPORT BET will settle the £1 bet in cash, with the remaining amount credited as free bets to equal a payout at 30/1.

When having a bet, it’s vital to practice responsible gambling.

Betting can be addictive, and it’s important to stay in control of your betting. Never treat gambling as a way to make money, never bet more than you can afford and when the fun stops, stop.

Gambling sites offer punters tools, like deposit limits, profit and loss trackers and self-exclusion options, to help them stay in control.

But if you ever feel like you need help or advice on gambling addiction, don’t hesitate to contact one of the charities or organisations below.

We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.