Nottingham Forest vs West Bromwich Albion Betting Tips: Latest odds, team news, preview and prediction

Nottingham Forest face West Bromwich Albion in the Championship on Saturday evening.

It has been a busy summer at City Ground, with a host of new faces arriving and Sabri Lamouchi replacing Martin O'Neill as manager back in June.

West Brom are also under new management, with former Croatia and West Ham United boss Slaven Bilic taking up the reins at the Hawthorns.

Latest odds

Forest are 7/5 (2.40) favourites with bet365 to kick off their Championship challenge with a win. The Baggies can be backed at 9/5 (2.80) with the same firm to take all three points from Saturday's season opener. The odds compilers offer 12/5 (3.40) that both sides are forced to settle for a share of the spoils.

Team news

Goalkeeper Aro Muric - on loan from Manchester City - is expected to make his first competitive start in goal for the hosts. Albert Adomah, Joe Lolley and Lewis Grabban are likely to form the front three for Forest in Lamouchi's first competitive match as manager.

Kenneth Zohore is expected to lead the line for the visitors, having joined West Brom from Cardiff City during the summer. Romaine Sawyers rejoined the club from Brentford last week and is in line to start for West Brom. 

Preview

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Both sides are targeting promotion to the top tier at the end of the forthcoming campaign and so Saturday's showdown promises to be a fascinating fixture.

Only champions Norwich City scored more goals in the second tier than West Brom last season and the Baggies will hope to maintain their cutting edge this time around.

Bilic's men, though, will need to improve in defence. Indeed, no side in the top half of the Championship last term conceded more frequently than West Brom and the odds compilers offer just 8/11 (1.73) that both teams are on target at the City Ground.

Prediction

Better value, though, may lie in simply backing more than two goals to be scored ahead of Saturday's match. The selection would have landed in six of West Brom's final eight Championship matches last term, including their play-off semi-final defeat at the hands of Aston Villa.

Furthermore, there were more than two goals scored in seven of Forest's last nine home Championship clashes last season. The 10/11 (1.91) quote on offer from bet365, then, for at least three goals to be scored may well provide punters with a path to profit.

Odds correct at time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.

Over 2.5 goals at 10/11 (1.91) for a 2pt stake at bet365