Forest vs Leeds Prediction: Betting Tips & Odds

Nottingham Forest and Leeds United kick off the new Premier League season at the City Ground on Sunday morning New Zealand time.

Both sides are desperate to improve on underwhelming 2025-26 campaigns that saw them finish 16th and 14th respectively.

In this Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United preview, I’m looking at two squads reshaped by busy summers and a fixture that produced 3-1 scorelines in both directions last season. I’ve got a BTTS angle worth exploring for anyone checking football betting options this week.

Nottingham Forest

Oliver Glasner is the new man in charge at the City Ground after replacing Vitor Pereira over the summer. 

His task isn’t straightforward - the £116m sale of Elliot Anderson to Manchester City has ripped the engine from Forest’s midfield, and the replacements haven’t arrived at the same rate. Ousmane Diomande from Sporting is a quality centre-back signing at £37m, and Xaver Schlager on a free adds some experience in midfield, but the window is still open and replacing Anderson’s output won’t be easy.

I’m not convinced they’re ready for this. 

Their pre-season was a mixed bag - wins over Notts County, Blackburn, Leverkusen, and Brest were encouraging, but losses to Barcelona, Udinese, and a 4-1 thumping by Sporting raised questions about their defensive shape against better opposition. Glasner’s squad looks thin. Chris Wood’s fitness is a concern too.

Morgan Gibbs-White and McAtee are the creative hope now Anderson’s gone. If they click under a new system, Forest have the personnel to cause problems. I just don’t know if they’ve had enough time.

Team News: Wood is a doubt with a thigh issue. Hudson-Odoi has a thigh problem. Savona is confirmed out with a knee injury.

Predicted Lineup: Sels; Williams, Murillo, Milenkovic, Morato; Sangare, Schlager; Hutchinson, Gibbs-White, McAtee; Igor Jesus.

Leeds United

Leeds look far more settled. 

Farke has kept the core together and added smartly - James Trafford from City for a club-record £40m at goalkeeper, Tarik Muharemovic from Sassuolo to replace Pascal Struijk, and Jaka Bijol providing another centre-back option. Harry Wilson on a free from Fulham gives them depth out wide.

Their pre-season has been encouraging. 

I was impressed by the 4-2 win over Liverpool in particular, and they followed it up by beating RB Leipzig 2-0 and Augsburg 4-0. Only a 1-1 draw with Man United interrupted the run. Eleven goals scored and three conceded across those four games is hard to argue with.

Calvert-Lewin has another season as the main man up top after scoring 14 Premier League goals last term, and the midfield trio of Ampadu, Stach, and Longstaff gives Farke a solid foundation. I think they’ll fancy this.

Team News: Gudmundsson is out with a hamstring injury. Perri is sidelined. Gruev is a fitness doubt.

Predicted Lineup: Trafford; Bogle, Bijol, Rodon, Bornauw; Ampadu, Stach; Wilson, Aaronson, Okafor; Calvert-Lewin.

• Both Premier League meetings last season finished 3-1, with each side winning at home.
• Forest finished 16th on 44 points last season with a goal difference of minus three.
• Leeds scored 11 goals and conceded three across their final four pre-season friendlies.
• Forest lost three of their seven pre-season matches, all against European opposition.
• Both teams scored in three of the last five head-to-head meetings.

I’m going with Leeds here. 

I know it’s opening day and the City Ground is a tough place to go, but Forest feel undercooked. Glasner hasn’t had a full window to work with yet, the Anderson-shaped hole in midfield hasn’t been properly filled, and their pre-season form was mixed at best.

Leeds won’t be thinking about survival this time around. Farke’s squad looks stronger, their pre-season was convincing, and Calvert-Lewin will be desperate to prove he belongs at a higher level after a good first season back in the top flight. A draw wouldn’t surprise me, I won’t pretend otherwise. 

But if you’re tracking the NZ betting sites for value, I’d lean towards the visitors at $3.15.

Both Teams to Score @ $1.80

Forest and Leeds produced 3-1 scorelines in both league meetings last season. 

BTTS came in during three of their last five head-to-head matches, and with both sides adjusting to new players and systems on opening day, I’d expect defensive organisation to be a work in progress.

Leeds have the attacking quality to score through Calvert-Lewin and Okafor, while Gibbs-White and Igor Jesus give Forest enough going forward to find the net at home. At $1.80, it’s short but justified.

I’m happy backing BTTS at that price on the betting bonuses available for the new season.