Nottingham Forest v Hull City
Saturday 9th March 1500hrs
Football – England – Championship
Pick Nottingham Forest
Bookmaker Coral
Odds: 23/20 (odds taken 20.40 GMT, Thursday 7th March)
The Championship season is getting to the business end and that includes the race for the playoffs which both Nottingham Forest and Hull City are very much involved in. Who can get an advantage in that race by getting all three points on Saturday?!
Nottingham Forest Preview
Martin O’Neill enjoyed a huge amount of success as a player at Forest and whilst he is never going to reach those heights as a manager, O’Neill has had a positive start to life in charge at the City Ground. The challenge when taking over from Aitor Karanka was to challenge for the top six and with 11 games left of the regular season, Forest are very much still in contention. The disappointing 2-0 defeat away to Stoke last week was their first reverse in five matches and after a slow start, the team look to be heading in the right direction under the new manager. The highlight so far was the 1-0 win at home to rivals Derby and having come on the back of some other good results, it only compounds the frustration that they could not follow on from that into last weekend’s game. The big games keekp on coming for Forest, though, and Saturday’s game at home to Hull sees them face a team level on points with them. O’Neill’s men are four points adrift of the top six but they have played a game less than Bristol City who occupy sixth spot and it’s looking increasingly likely that it’s just going to be that final playoff spot up for grabs, with a number of teams hoping to claim it.
Key-Facts – Nottingham Forest v Hull City
- Nottingham Forest and Hull City both have 50 points heading into this match
- A win for either side would see them keep up their playoff charge but it would all but end hopes for the loser
- Forest have been strong at home winning four of their last five with Hull failing to win any of their last five on the road
Hull City Preview
Hull have been one of the surprise packages of this season and they continue to stick around the playoff picture just when you think they are going to fall away. Two defeats in three matches, including a heavy 5-1 loss away to Brentford, looked to have done for the Tigers hopes of finishing in the top six. Nigel Adkins men could easily have reacted to that in a way that seen them just play out the season considering their presence in the top half of the table was so unexpected. So it’s to their credit the Hull players have responded with two straight wins – at home to both Millwall and more impressively, Birmingham last week. Their home form has been excellent all season and they are now unbeaten in their last nine with wins in seven of those. It’s that form which has kept them in and around the top six with the challenge now being to pick up some wins on the road to give them a great chance of finishing in the playoffs. That begins with this tough trip to Forest on Saturday and trying to translate their from at the KCOM Stadium, on to the road.
Nottingham Forest v Hull City Betting Advice
Forest benefited from some big investment last summer and the objective was a push for promotion, most likely through the playoffs. It was very different for Hull though, who’s primary aim was to preserve their Championship status. Now, heading into the final part of the season and both clubs are neck and neck with a realistic chance of making the playoffs. That’s the beauty of the Championship and Saturday’s match at the City Ground has the feel of it being decisive for one of them. Whoever wins will still have a lot to do but the loser would arguably have too much to do – and a draw is not of much benefit for either.
An issue for both these teams has been consistency between their home and away form. Forest have won four of their last five at the City Ground but won any of their last nine on the road. I’ve alluded to Hull’s strength when at home but their recent away record leaves a lot to be desired with four defeats in five games. It’s bound to be a close affair considering they are level on points after 35 matches, but home advantage may tip this in favour of Forest.
