Kick-off: 1230, 19/09/2020
Stadium: City Ground
TV: Sky Sports
Nottingham Forest and Cardiff are both expected to be in the promotion mix this season but have made a slow start ahead of Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off.
They were both beaten on the opening weekend and were knocked out in the first round of the EFL Cup so there is pressure on them to avoid a third straight defeat.
Neither side is yet to score a goal so a cagey contest could be in store and under 1.5 goals at 19/10 is our opening Nottingham Forest vs Cardiff prediction.
A Look At Nottingham Forest’s Betting Odds
Forest ended last season in the worst possible fashion and the early signs suggest they may take some time to recover from the disappointment.
They looked set to secure a play-off place last season but missed out in extraordinary circumstances as a 4-1 defeat at home against Stoke allowed Swansea to leapfrog them into the top six.
The new season began with a 1-0 cup defeat at Barnsley and was followed by a 2-0 league loss at QPR where they failed to muster a shot on target.
Boss Sabri Lamouchi said: “Without a mistake, and with more efficiency in the box, the game is in our hands.
“In the first game of the season you need to be patient and clever, but we were not clever and not good enough to make the difference and score.”
Only one team in the top half scored fewer goals than Forest last season and that trend could be about to continue.
They only managed 20 first-half goals so a goalless first half on Saturday appeals at 31/20 in the Nottingham Forest vs Cardiff odds.
Last Forest line-up: Samba, Figueiredo, Worrall, Blackett, Lawrence-Gabriel, Colback, Freeman, Yates, Grabban, Da Costa, Lolley.
A Look At Cardiff City’s Betting Odds
Cardiff have fared no better in front of goal and their first two results have been even more alarming.
They crashed to a 3-0 cup defeat at Northampton and only managed one shot on target despite having to chase the game after conceding all three goals inside the first hour.
The Bluebirds dominated possession against Sheffield Wednesday last week but went behind to a Josh Windass goal in only the fourth minute and looked short of creativity as Jordan Rhodes made it 2-0 just before half-time.
Asked if Cardiff were having a hangover from missing out on promotion to the Premier League last season, manager Neil Harris said: “The honest answer is I hope not.
“If there is a hangover we need to shake it off quickly but I don’t sense it at the moment. We need to be more fluent and make better decisions in the final third.”
Cardiff’s performances have given more reason for concern so far and both meetings last season featured just one goal so a 1-0 home win at 7/1 is our final Nottingham Forest vs Cardiff prediction.
Last Cardiff line-up: Smithies, Osei-Tutu, Bennett, Morrison, Nelson, Vaulks, Bacuna, Ralls, Ojo, Hoilett, Moore.
Additional stats
Last result:
QPR 2-0 NOTTINGHAM FOREST
CARDIFF 0-2 Sheffield Wednesday
Head-to-head: Cardiff 0-1 Forest, Forest 0-1 Cardiff, Cardiff 2-1 Forest, Forest 0-2 Cardiff, Cardiff 1-0 Forest, Forest 1-2 Cardiff
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