Nottingham Forest vs Bolton Predictions

Nottingham Forest have seen their playoff hopes disappear this term, but they are turning focus to promotion next term. They are looking towards the new season, but first, they wrap things up against Bolton this weekend. The Trotters still have two games left to play, but their future is so up in the air that this could be their final game of the season. With the club up for sale, no sign of an interested buyer while they borrow money to prevent their players from going on strike things are obviously going wrong for the visitors.

Martin O’Neill has a mixed record as Nottingham Forest boss, which has seen them struggle to stay up with the teams in the playoff mix. The re-teaming of O’Neill and Roy Keane hasn’t exactly brought positivity to the City Ground, but the pair are preparing for their first full season with the club next term. After returning to winning ways in the last couple of weeks, the hosts will be expecting to finish on a better note when they take on Bolton on Sunday.

The hosts missed their meeting with Brentford last weekend with their players on strike. With the club out of cash, wages went unpaid and the already relegated side saw Laurence Bassini ruled out of buying the club this week. That’s obviously bad news in the short term with the club still on the market, but the former Watford owner was worrying some, with the Trotters needing a figure who can get them back up on their feet.

Off the pitch, things are a mess for the visitors, but on the pitch Bolton have lost their last five games. They’ve been beaten in seven of their last eight league games. Their away form is awful, having lost 14 of their trips this season. They’ve averaged just 0.73 points per game on the road, giving them one of the worst away records in the league. The visitors have lost 12 of their last 15 on the road, while they head into a clash with a Forest side who are decent at home.

Forest’s big results under O’Neill have come at home, with the club winning 12 of their first 22 home games of the season. They’ve returned to form with back to back victories, while Bolton shouldn’t be a problem for the hosts. We expect them to claim a win, with a low scoring game likely. Forest have conceded less than a goal per game at home, while Bolton’s away games have been low scoring despite their awful run. They’ve seen under 3.5 goals in 84% of their league games, while all but two home wins for Forest have seen less than four goals. As a result, Forest to win and under 3.5 goals is our tip in this one.