Man Utd vs Forest Prediction: Premier League Betting Tips & Odds

Manchester United and Nottingham Forest face off at Old Trafford on Sunday evening New Zealand time in a penultimate-round Premier League fixture with plenty at stake.

United have already confirmed Champions League football under Michael Carrick. Forest, on the other hand, are seven points clear of the bottom three and closing in on survival, though it’s not mathematically done yet.

In this Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest preview, I’ve gone through form, injury news and the tactical angles. I’ve also identified a BTTS price on the new betting sites that I think offers decent value for this one.

Manchester United

United’s 0-0 at Sunderland on Saturday was flat, and felt like a side with nothing left to play for. Carrick rested Benjamin Sesko and didn’t travel Casemiro or Manuel Ugarte either, so their midfield looked limp. Joshua Zirkzee started up front and offered next to nothing before being pulled after 65 minutes.

I don’t think that performance tells us much about United though. Before that stalemate, they beat Liverpool 3-2 at Old Trafford. Matheus Cunha opened the scoring and Sesko doubled the lead before Kobbie Mainoo sealed it. Cunha has nine league goals from 32 appearances this season and Bruno Fernandes is chasing the all-time Premier League assists record.

Whether Sesko returns is the big question here. Carrick said he expected the Slovenian to be available for Forest. If he is, this is a very different United attack to the one that drew a blank at the Stadium of Light.

Team News: Sesko expected to return from shin injury. Casemiro and Ugarte could feature after being rested. De Ligt is a long-term absentee (back).

Predicted Lineup: Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Amad, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko.

Nottingham Forest

Forest are unbeaten in eight Premier League games. I’ll say that again: eight. Three wins and two stalemates from their last five league outings, including a 5-0 demolition of Sunderland and a 3-1 victory at Chelsea. Elliot Anderson’s late equaliser against Newcastle last Sunday extended the run.

What concerns me is the context around this fixture. Forest were hammered 4-0 by Villa in the Europa League semi-final second leg last Thursday. Morgan Gibbs-White only managed the bench that night and didn’t feature against Newcastle either. Losing your most creative player - 17 goal contributions in the league this season - is a biggie.

Eight unbeaten is a big deal though. Anderson has been excellent and Taiwo Awoniyi scored twice against Chelsea. Their away form under Vitor Pereira has improved.

Team News: Gibbs-White is a major doubt (head wound). Murillo is out (hamstring). Hudson-Odoi, Savona, Boly and Victor are all done for the season. Aina and Sangare are doubts.

Predicted Lineup: Sels; Jair Cunha, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams; Anderson, Dominguez; Bakwa, McAtee, Igor Jesus; Awoniyi.

• Forest are unbeaten in their last eight Premier League games.
• United have won three of their last five at Old Trafford in the league.
• Forest won the double over United in 2024-25 and the reverse fixture this season finished 2-2.
• Both teams scored in that November meeting at the City Ground.
• Over 2.5 goals has hit in five of United’s last six home matches.
• Forest have conceded just four goals across their last five league outings.

I’m tipping United here. However, don’t expect this to be the comfortable home win these odds suggest. 

Carrick will want to finish the season strongly, and I think he’ll bring Sesko back into the starting XI. That gives them a cutting edge Zirkzee simply can’t provide.

Forest will be a nuisance though.Their recent form is sharp, and Anderson is playing well enough right now to score any time. I’m expecting 2-1 for United - a game where they control things without ever being fully comfortable.

If you’re following football betting tips from New Zealand, I’d focus on the goals markets rather than just the match result.

Both Teams to Score @ $1.80

Forest have scored in eight of their last 10 Premier League matches and aren’t a side that come to Old Trafford to defend for 90 minutes anymore. Anderson and Awoniyi have found form at the right time, and even without Gibbs-White they created chances against Newcastle.

United have failed to record a clean sheet in five of their last six at home. Lammens is a competent goalkeeper but he’s no Onana, and their defensive structure has wobbled without Casemiro and Ugarte in the middle of the park.

At $1.80, BTTS is the price I’m happiest backing on the live betting sites available in New Zealand.