Southampton v Nottingham Forest: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Southampton welcome Nottingham Forest to St Mary's and the Saints, last season's Championship playoff winners, are targeting a victory on Saturday.

Southampton v Nottingham Forest betting tips and predictions

Draw - 12/5

Southampton and Nottingham Forest were among the ante-post favourites for Premier League relegation so both clubs will regard Saturday's clash at St Mary's as a winnable fixture.

A lack of ruthlessness cost both sides on the opening weekend as Southampton lost 1-0 at Newcastle and Forest drew 1-1 at home to Bournemouth.

Saints, returning to the Premier League after beating Leeds United in the Championship playoff final, were handed an early boost at St James' Park when Newcastle defender Fabian Schar was sent off in the 28th minute.

However, Russell Martin's men conceded a sloppy goal and were unable to breach the home defence despite having 78 percent of possession and 19 shots.

Southampton are expected to play on the front foot at St Mary's, where they won 15 of their 23 Championship matches last season, averaging 2.35 goals per game.

Nuno's Forest let slip a 1-0 lead in their home fixture against Bournemouth but they are set up to counter-attack effectively away from the City Ground and the draw looks the best bet this weekend.

Forest have struggled on the road since returning to the top flight in 2022/23 but they won their last two away fixtures at relegated Sheffield United and Burnley, also picking up points at Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, Wolves and Luton.

Adam Armstrong to be first goalscorer - 5/1

Striker Adam Armstrong played a key role in Southampton's success at St Mary's last term, scoring 14 goals and providing eight assists in his 22 home starts in the Championship.

He was lively in last weekend's defeat at his former club Newcastle, where he had five shots including one effort that was brilliantly cleared off the line by Magpies defender Lewis Hall.

Armstrong struggled to make an impact in his previous Premier League stint with Southampton but he scored 24 league goals last term and, at the age of 27, should be approaching his peak.

He will have taken confidence from his display at St James' Park and is worth backing to open the scoring on Saturday, having converted all five of his penalties in the Championship last season.

Ben Brereton to be booked - 9/2

Armstrong's strike partner Ben Brereton made headlines for his part in Schar's sending-off at Newcastle and the combative forward looks a big price to be booked against Forest.

Brereton was shown a yellow card for his role in the first-half incident at St James' Park and he is unlikely to temper his aggressive approach this weekend.

He has picked up plenty of cards during his career, amassing 13 bookings in his last two seasons with Blackburn in the Championship.

The Chile international started last term at Villarreal in La Liga, where he was cautioned twice in only 260 minutes of playing time.

He joined Sheffield United on loan in January and was booked in the Blades' Premier League games against Bournemouth, Chelsea and Brentford so it would be no surprise to see him end up in the referee's notebook on his home debut for Southampton.

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Southampton v Nottingham Forest odds

Southampton - 7/5
Draw - 12/5
Nottingham Forest - 19/10

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.