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The match at the City Ground is the first stop of an action-packed afternoon of English football, Al Hain-Cole expects it to get the pulses racing with plenty of goals

After the over-indulgence of Christmas, there is nothing better than spending Boxing Day reclining in front of the banquet of televised live football, and Nottingham Forest versus Leeds is first on the agenda.

The Championship’s early kick-off sees two sides under Middle Eastern ownership go head-to-head,  with both hoping to benefit from their wealthy backers by pushing for promotion.

Leeds have won five of the six matches since November’s takeover by their Dubai-based owners, and are available at odds of 21/10 (3.10) with Bet365 to pick up all three points at the City Ground, just as they managed last season by an emphatic 4-0 score-line.

Forest are going through a bit of a rough patch at the moment, with only one win in their last five, but are favourites nevertheless at 5/4 (2.25).

Only Brighton have drawn more matches than Sean O’Driscoll’s side in the Championship this season, and you can get odds of 12/5 (3.40) on a stalemate taking place in this one.

Last season’s meeting between these two sides at Elland Road provided one of the most astounding matches of the year, as the visitors ran out 7-3 winners in an unbelievable game.

Although nobody could have predicted that sort of result, fixtures between this pair can usually be relied upon to include plenty of goalmouth action, as there have been at least three goals scored in each of the last four.

A bet on over 2.5 goals going in would have paid out in five of the hosts’ last eight games, as well as four of the last five involving Neil Warnock’s men, so that is surely where the money lies here at generous 17/20 (1.85) odds.

Although the visitors will obviously be keen to spend some of their new-found wealth when the transfer window opens in January, they will also need to make sure that they hang on to Luciano Becchio at all costs.

The Argentine striker currently sits third in the list of Championship top-scorers with 15 goals to his name, and has hit the back of the net seven times in the last seven matches.

Considering Forest have conceded first in four of the last six matches, it is well worth backing Becchio to get the ball rolling in this match - just as he did against Chelsea in the Capital One Cup a week ago - at tempting odds of 6/1 (7.00).

BET

OF THE

DAY

BEST BET

VALUE BET

Over 2.5 goals at 17/20 (1.85) with Bet365

Luciano Becchio to score first at 6/1 (7.00) with Bet365

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Al Hain-Cole is a Liverpool fan, experienced tipster and avid follower of European football. He specialises in accumulators and if you would like to read more from Al you can follow him on Twitter here.

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