Nottingham Forest are hovering in the lower reaches of the league after their promotion, and are in desperate need of points to ensure that relegation is not a concern. This match is a perfect opportunity for them to grab some points as their opponents Chelsea are the worst team in the Big 6, with only 1 win and 4 losses in their first 5 matches before the World Cup, and the last 3 matches have been scoreless. Forest will have to take the initiative to attack if they want to score, and the first goal is worth a bet. (Now 621 and 611 live at 00:30am Monday)
Chelsea's form has been in the doldrums since their 1-4 loss to Brighton at the end of October, and with the exception of a win over Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Europa League, all other matches before the World Cup ended in losses. After the World Cup, the team seems to have rebounded with a 2-0 win over Brentwood in the league, but in reality, this was due to the weaker opponents, and whether they can bounce back is still unknown. With Aubameyang's lack of performance, the onus of scoring is on Xaviers and Mason Mount, while the re-injury of Szczesz is definitely a heavy blow to the team.
Repeated success at home
After the World Cup, Nottingham Forest showed good form in the EFL Cup with a 4-1 win over Bridgelands Rovers. Although they lost 0-3 in their last away match against Manchester United, it doesn't represent their real strength. As a matter of fact, they have been the first to break through the goal in all of their last 6 league matches at home, which is enough to show that with the support of their fans, the team has been performing particularly well, and I believe this match is no exception.
