Nottingham Forest vs Newcastle United prediction 17.03.2023

• Competition: Premier League
• Date: Friday, 17th March 2023
• Kickoff: 20:00 UK / 21:00 CET
• Venue: City Ground (Nottingham)

In the first part of the season, Nottingham Forest looked like one of the leading candidates for the trip back to the Championship. But after several wins (mostly against relegation candidates), they climbed out of the danger zone. Now they are in 14th place in the Premier League but only two points away from the relegation zone. With just five points difference between the 12th and the 20th team on the league's table, we are up for an exciting relegation battle this season.

Nottingham Forest are in bad form, winning just two points in the last five games. Still, they are much better at home and have lost just one game in the previous 12 matches in all competitions. Even though they scored only 21 goals in 26 rounds, 17 of those 21 were scored at home. On the other hand, they are good defensively at home and have allowed only 15 goals compared to 32 away from home!

Newcastle United are outstanding this season, but with recent investments, that actually is not too big of a surprise. They are in 5th place, just four points behind the 4th-placed Tottenham, and a position that would guarantee an appearance in the Champions League next season. The Magpies have played one or two games less than most of the teams, and in the next two games, they will have an opportunity to grab third place. After the Nottingham Forest game, they will play at home against the direct contender for the Champions League spot - Manchester United.

Newcastle are by far the best defensive team this year. With only 18 conceded goals, they are at the top of the league in that department. They allowed seven goals less than Arsenal and Manchester City, which are tied for the second-best defensive record. 

Nottingham Forest vs Newcastle pick: Under 2.5 goals

Nottingham Forest are mostly playing low-scoring games at home. In 13 home matches in the Premier League, they were only four times over 2.5 goals. Their offense have been a constant problem this season, and it is hard to expect they will score against the best defense in the Premier League. 

Newcastle were only nine times over 2.5 goals in 25 matches in the Premier League. Only West Ham have fewer (seven). On the road, Newcastle were five times under 2.5 goals in a row. In those five games, they struggled offensively and scored only two goals. 

In the first h2h game this season, we have seen a 2:0 win for Newcastle.