Championship strugglers Luton Town travel to surprise Premier League title challengers Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.
FA Cup
Nottingham Forest To Win
Our Three Predictions For Nottingham Forest vs Luton Town
- First Prediction: Nottingham Forest To Win – 19/50
- Second Prediction: Both Teams To Score – No – 18/25
- Third Prediction: Under 2.5 Goals – 93/100
First Prediction For Nottingham Forest vs Luton Town – Nottingham Forest To Win – 19/50
What a difference a few months make. Just one place separated the two teams last season, with Luton finishing in the final relegation place in the Premier League with Nottingham Forest just one place higher. Fast forward eight months and the Hatters are embroiled in another relegation scrap, this time in the Championship, whilst Forest have embarked on an unlikely title challenge in the top tier.
Luton head into this game entering a new era following the departure of Rob Edwards yesterday. However, their focus will be on survival once again and they are likely to rotate their squad for this fixture. The same goes for the East Midlanders but they are on an incredibly impressive run, and the gulf in class between the two teams has increased exponentially in such a short space of time. As such, a comfortable home victory looks to be on the cards.
Second Prediction For Nottingham Forest vs Luton Town – Both Teams To Score – No – 18/25
Luton head into this game on a run of four successive league defeats, two of which saw them fail to score. They are a team low on confidence and the last place they will want to visit at the moment is the City Ground, where they will face one of the most in-form teams in the country.
Forest have the second best defensive record in the Premier League, with their 19 goals conceded only bettered by Arsenal. They have also kept clean sheets in their last four games. Although Nuno Espirito Santo is likely to tinker with his back line, he won’t want to disrupt their momentum and will be pushing for another shut out here.
Third Prediction For Nottingham Forest vs Luton Town – Under 2.5 Goals – 93/100
Forest’s 3-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers was their first in four which had seen over 2.5 goals, with 2-0 wins over Everton and Brentford and a 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur preceding that. Although Luton offer a lower classed opposition, this is an opportunity for some of the fringe players to make their mark. However, with a huge game against Liverpool coming up next week, they may be tempted to gain a one or two goal advantage and sit back in order to avoid any potential injuries.
Luton’s lack of fire power should play into the Premier League side’s hands. Although they have lost their last two away games 2-1, it is difficult to see them breaking down their opponents and a low-scoring home win looks to be on the cards.
Best Odds For Nottingham Forest vs Luton Town
| Bookmaker | Nottingham Forest | Draw | Luton Town |
| MyriadPlay | 19/50 | 73/20 | 57/10 |
| Gentleman Jim | 4/11 | 7/2 | 13/2 |
| Betarno | 38/100 | 15/4 | 11/2 |
The table above shows the latest odds from leading football betting websites.
Full Preview of the Game: Last Results and Head-To-Head
Luton head into this game on a run of two wins in their last 10 league games. This includes seven defeats, the most recent game against Queens Park Rangers when the Hoops recorded a 2-1 win at Loftus Road. That was the Hatters’ fourth successive reverse, and they will be hoping that a change of management will be able to steer them clear of the relegation places.
Nottingham Forest’s fortunes are the complete reverse. They have won their last six and currently sit third in the Premier League, level on points with second-placed Arsenal. However, they are six points behind leaders Liverpool but will be hoping to cut that gap when they welcome the Reds to the City Ground next week. They are also the only team to inflict a league defeat on Arne Slot’s team this season. Nuno Espirito Santo was earlier crowned the Premier League manager of the month as a result of their form throughout December.
The two teams do have recent history. Both clashes last season resulted in draws and Luton are unbeaten in this fixture in their last six meetings. Forest’s last victory against the Bedfordshire-based side was in 2020. The last FA Cup meeting between the pair was in 2007, with Luton winning 1-0 at Kenilworth Road.
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Where To Watch Nottingham Forest vs Luton Town
Where can I watch this game, either in person or on TV?
- Location: City Ground, West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, NG2 5FJ
- Date: January 11th, 2025
- TV Channel: This game is not scheduled for TV broadcast.
Probable Lineups For Nottingham Forest vs Luton Town
Predicted Nottingham Forest Lineup
- Lineup: Miguel; Aina, Boly, Murillo, Moreno; Yates, Anderson; Jota, Ward-Prowse, Sosa; Awoniyi
- Injured/Suspended: Danilo, Sangare
- Manager: Nuno Espirito Santo
Predicted Luton Town Lineup
- Lineup: Krul; Walter, Holmes, McGuinness, Bell; Walsh, Nakamba; Chong, Fanne, Nelson; Adebayo
- Injured/Suspended: Mengi, Burke, Doughty, Baptiste, Lockyer
- Manager: Paul Trollope, Richie Kyle and Mick Harford (Interim)
