Nottingham Forest were the Premier League’s surprise package last season, finishing seventh to qualify for Europe. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are now aiming to compete on multiple fronts.
It has been a turbulent summer for Brentford, who made a left-field choice in appointing Keith Andrews as their new manager. Can the Bees halt Forest at the City Ground?
- Nottingham Forest to win – 21/20 with BetMGM
- Nottingham Forest to keep a clean sheet – 9/5 with Betfred
- Chris Wood to score any time – 8/5 with bet365
Nottingham Forest vs Brentford odds
Find the latest Nottingham Forest vs Brentford betting odds here. All odds are provided by our recommended football bookmakers and are subject to change.
Stay in-play between matches with bet365’s live casino!
Nottingham Forest vs Brentford predictions
Nottingham Forest were the surprise package of the Premier League season last time out.
Tipped to be involved in a relegation battle for a third consecutive campaign, Forest instead fought their way into the conversation for European qualification.
At one stage it looked like Nuno Espirito Santo’s side might even make it into the Champions League. Although they fell ultimately short in that particular fight, a seventh-place finish represented a fantastic outcome in Nuno’s first full season at the helm.
That achievement earned Forest a place in the Conference League. Much to their delight, they have since been promoted to the Europa League after Crystal Palace were demoted from Europe’s secondary competition.
Forest will no doubt take that tournament seriously, while they will also be eyeing another cup run after reaching the semis of the FA Cup last time out.
All that may have an impact on their league form. Even if they were to prioritise the Premier League, it will be tough for Forest to finish in the top seven again.
They will no longer have the element of surprise behind them. Forest were deadly on the counter-attack last season, so we will surely see opponents allow them more of the ball this time around.
There can be no doubting the club’s ambition, however. Forest have sold Anthony Elanga to Newcastle United, but they successfully resisted Tottenham Hotspur’s attempts to prise Morgan Gibbs-White away from the City Ground.
In terms of incomings, Jair Cunha and, in particular, Igor Jesus are exciting additions from Brazilian club Botafogo. Dan Ndoye is a fine replacement for Elanga, and it looks like James McAtee and Omari Hutchinson are on their way to the East Midlands too. Forest’s squad is not short of talent.
What of Brentford? They are taking a step into the unknown without Thomas Frank, an influential manager who had been in charge of the west Londoners since 2018. Star man Bryan Mbeumo has also departed and Yoane Wissa will soon be on his way out too.
Keith Andrews is a characteristically left-field pick as Frank’s successor for a club that has always done things its own way. Brentford rightly trust the process which has brought them from League One to the top half of the Premier League in a little over a decade.
Nottingham Forest vs Brentford betting tips
Nottingham Forest and Brentford will bump heads on matchday one of the Premier League season.
Nottingham Forest to win
Brentford have featured prominently in the relegation zone of numerous pre-season predictions.
In the humble view of this writer, the Bees will have enough to survive. However, they could have a slow start to the season as the squad gets used to Andrews’s demands and the recruitment team completes its transfer dealings.
Wissa is still a Brentford player for now, but Andrews has confirmed he will play no part on Sunday. Kevin Schade is out injured, leaving the Bees with what is essentially a new-look attack.
Nottingham Forest’s starting XI will be very similar to what we saw last term, with Ndoye likely to be the only new face in Nuno’s first line-up.
That continuity will help Forest to emerge victorious on matchday one.
Choose Nottingham Forest to win at 21/20 with BetMGM
Nottingham Forest to keep a clean sheet
As mentioned above, the departure of Mbeumo, exile of Wissa and absence of Schade means Brentford’s frontline will look very different this weekend.
Igor Thiago, who joined the club last summer but has hardly featured due to injury, is set to lead the line.
Support from out wide will be provided by Fabio Carvalho, a bit-part player last term, and Keane Lewis-Potter, who was used at left-back in 2024/25.
Forest were defensively solid for much of the last campaign, with Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo forming an excellent partnership at centre-back.
Back Nottingham Forest to keep a clean sheet at 9/5 with Betfred
Chris Wood to score any time
Chris Wood enjoyed the season of his career last time out, scoring 20 Premier League goals for the first time.
The New Zealand international is now 33 years of age, and with Forest in Europe they will need others to share the load up front.
In time, Igor Jesus will hope to become Forest’s main man up top. For now, though, the Brazilian will be Wood’s understudy.
Competition for places is never a bad thing and Wood will relish the challenge. Against Brentford, he can pick up from where he left off last season.
Tip Chris Wood to score any time at 8/5 with bet365
Nottingham Forest vs Brentford predicted lineups
- Nottingham Forest expected lineup: Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Yates, Anderson; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood.
- Brentford expected lineup: Kelleher; Kayode, Collins, Pinnock, Henry; Jensen, Yarmolyuk; Carvalho, Damsgaard, Lewis-Potter; Thiago.
Where to watch Nottingham Forest vs Brentford
- Location: City Ground, Nottingham, England.
- Date and time: Sunday 17th August, 2pm.
- How to watch: Sky Sports Premier League.
More Premier League predictions
You’ll find many more Premier League predictions on our platform – explore the latest insights and betting tips from professional tipsters in our match preview overview.
About the author
Greg Lea
Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.
Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
- GambleAware – www.gambleaware.org
Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.