STOKE CITY v NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Championship
Saturday 2nd March 2019
Kickoff: 1500hrs
Pick: Under 2.5 goals
Bookmaker: Marathonbet
Odds: 1.68 (odds taken at 05:48 GMT, 02 Mar 2019)
Stoke City will entertain Nottingham Forest as the betting tips continue at the bet365 Stadium with the hosts and Nathan Jones desperately needing a win in order to stave off the rot that has started to seep in at The Potters in recent times.
Championship Betting at Marathonbet
Stoke City Prediction
Stoke City drew 1-1 at home with Aston Villa last weekend which extended their winless run in the Championship to six matches, or if you prefer, just one win from their last 11 matches overall in the second tier as Stoke’s season goes from bad to worse.
Former manager Gary Rowett must be wishing he’d been given as much time as his successor, Jones has had as the former Luton Town coach just can’t seem to get a win for love nor money at his new club who have now steadily dropped down the league to a very disappointing 18th place.
Stoke’s home record stands at a sub-standard 7-4-6 18/18 with just one win out of their last five matches which surprisingly, came in the shape of a 2-1 win over promotion-chasing Leeds United back in January.
However, recent defeats to Bristol City, Preston North End and West Brom have put paid to any lingering hopes of a top six finish and they now look like a side that’s simply treading water until next season starts.
The goals have also dried up with 12 of their 17 home matches resulting in under 2.5 goals.
- Stoke City have won just 1 of their last 11 matches in the Championship
- 12 of Stoke’s 17 home matches have resulted in under 2.5 goals
- Nottingham Forest have now gone 8 away matches without a win
Nottingham Forest Prediction
Nottingham Forest have fared much better than Saturday’s counterparts, Stoke City this season despite another managerial casualty which saw former boss Aitor Karanka shown the door after a string of ordinary results.
His successor is former Forest legend, Martin O’Neill, and although they started slowly under O’Neill, Forest have since picked up momentum with recent wins gained over Brentford and most satisfying of all, a 1-0 local derby win over Derby County last time out.
In-between, Forest drew 1-1 away from home at both West Brom and Preston North End in 2-2 and 0-0 draws respectively, and indeed, the visitors have racked up the highest number of stalemates away from home in the Championship so far this season, along with Stoke City, with a total of 10 draws on the road each.
Forest’s away record stands at 3-10-4 24/23 and they’ve failed to win an away match from their last eight trips on the trot, drawing five of these and losing at Millwall, Reading and Birmingham City.
10 of Nottingham Forest’s 17 away matches have seen the under 2.5 goals result come in, and this could be another low-scoring affair at the bet365 Stadium.
Betting Tips Verdict
This match looks likely to be heading for a draw but the under 2.5 goals market seems the best play here.
