Nottingham Forest vs Derby County
9th November 1230hrs
Football – England – Championship
Pick Nottingham Forest
Bookmaker Bet365
Odds: 6/5 odds taken 2000 GMT, Thursday 7 November)
The East Midlands derby is arguably the biggest rivalry game in the Championship and the next installment takes place at the City Ground on Saturday as Nottingham Forest host Derby looking to remain in the hunt for the top two.
English Championship Betting at Bet365
Nottingham Forest vs Derby County Live Stats & Betting Odds
Nottingham Forest Preview – Can Forest maintain their place in the top six and inflict derby misery on Rams?
It’s been a really strong first part of the season for Nottingham Forest as they look to cement their place as a promotion hopeful. The managerial saga off the field over the summer is a distant memory now as the club and supporters get behind Sabri Lamouchi and his players. Despite having played one game less than the majority of the league due to a call-off, Forest are in fifth spot and just five points behind the leaders West Brom. It’s well documented how competitive the Championship is, especially this season, so there is still a huge amount they have to negotiate but on the evidence we have seen so far it’s a team who can cause plenty of problems
Saturday’s 2-1 win away to Luton is one of their most important to date. It came on the back of back-t0-back defeats and they could ill-afford to lose a third on the bounce heading into the clash with Derby on Saturday. As it is, Lamouchi will be looking for the three points which would see his team stay firmly in the mix of the teams chasing the top two. The head coach will also know the importance of beating their local rivals, especially at home.
Derby County Preview – Will Derby build on last weekend’s home win and move to within a point of rivals Forest?
It’s been a baptism of fire for for Philip Cocu since arriving in English football. As well as his new team struggling for results on the field, there has been unwanted happenings involving some of the biggest names in this Derby squad off the park. Cocu will be hoping to concentrate solely on football matters from here on in and attempting to get Derby back in contention for the playoffs which is ultimately the aim for the Rams.
It’s been a really strange set of results for Derby in recent times. Their last five games have brought three wins and two defeats. All three of their wins they have kept clean sheets and scored a total of five goals in them. The two defeats have seen them draw a blank in both and concede five. It indicates that the first goal is crucial in determining if they succeed or not. Cocu will also be aware that his team have not won on their travels since the opening weekend of the season, losing three of their last five. There would be no better place for Derby to put that right than at the home of their greatest rivals.
Key-Facts – Nottingham Forest vs Derby County
- Forest will be happy with their current position and can cement their strong start with all three points here
- Derby will be glad to focus on football affairs again but have not been great on their travels
- The Rams have not won here since 2012 and lost on their most recent visit – 3-0 in this season’s EFL Cup
Nottingham Forest v Derby County Betting Advice
These games are rarely ever dull and it’s a fixture we have seen plenty of in recent seasons with both teams in the Championship. Lamoucho and Cocu will ultimately be hoping that it becomes less frequent as they attempt to get their respective clubs promoted. At the moment, it’s Forest who are better placed to achieve that but there are only four points between the clubs, albeit the hosts have played a game less.
Derby have a terrible recent record at the City Ground. Their last win at this venue was back in 2012 and the they have lost four of their last seven visits. They’ve also failed to score a goal in their last three games here – including in the EFL Cup back in August when going down 3-0. Forest lost their previous home game but they had won five of their last six before then and will be boosted by last weekend’s win. They can make home advantage count once again.
