Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea predictions, odds and betting tips
NOTTINGHAM Forest and Chelsea will face off at the City Ground in what has become the most crucial Premier League match of the season for both sides.
It's not quite a winner-takes-all clash - but it's close. A Forest victory would still leave them relying on results elsewhere, while a Chelsea win would all but secure a return to the Champions League, barring an improbable goal-fest from Aston Villa at Old Trafford.
Quick Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea tips
Chelsea to win or draw and BTTS
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Pedro Neto to score or assist
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Chelsea over 1.5 goals
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Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea predictions
Find the latest football betting odds for Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea. Our odds are provided by the
Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea predictions
Nottingham Forest have hit a rough patch in recent weeks, winning just two of their last five Premier League games - a run that has seen them slip from third to seventh in the table.
Their three-match winless streak was finally broken on Sunday with a hard-fought 2-1 victory away at West Ham. Goals from Morgan Gibbs-White and Nikola Milenković secured the three points, though it was a nervy finish after Jarrod Bowen pulled one back for the Hammers in the 86th minute.
The result keeps Forest firmly in the race for a top-five finish. A win over Chelsea - combined with Aston Villa dropping points at Old Trafford - would be enough to seal European football at the highest level, capping a memorable season for Nuno Espírito Santo and his side.
Over at Stamford Bridge, expectations remain considerably higher. Like Nuno, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has been something of a victim of his own early-season success.
At the start of the year, a top-five finish looked all but guaranteed for the Blues. However, their form faltered in the second half of the campaign, particularly away from home.
That said, Chelsea have shown signs of a resurgence. They head into Sunday's clash having lost just once in their last eight league games. Notable results include a 3-1 win over Liverpool and a narrow 1-0 victory over Manchester United in their most recent outing.
But, with just one away win in the Premier League in 2025, can the Blues get the result they need at Forest to take them back to the top table of European football?
Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea betting tips
It's a tight call to choose the winner of this match. Chelsea are the team in better form, but they have been poor on the road in 2025. But, the Blues look to have the big game players to get them over the line in crunch matches. Check out our Forest vs Chelsea match betting tips below:
Chelsea to win or draw and BTTS
Continuing on from the above point, Chelsea have more big game players in their ranks than Nottingham Forest. They have a World Cup winner in Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer scored England's only goal of the game in their 2-1 defeat to Spain in the final at Euro 2024.
Forest did show plenty of bottle in their 2-1 win over West Ham last weekend. But even so, we feel that Chelsea will find a way to leave the City Ground with at least a point.
The Reds have dropped points at home to Everton, Brentford and Leicester in recent weeks. And we can see it happening again on Sunday.
Forest have found the back of the net in eight of their last ten in the Premier League, and they also have to win this match - throw in both teams to score to boost the odds.
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Pedro Neto to score or assist
Pedro Neto has provided an assist and a goal for Chelsea in his last five Premier League matches.
He hasn't been prolific, but the former Wolves winger has now become a first-choice starter under Enzo Maresca and as a result, has grown in stature in recent weeks.
Neto popped up with the winner in Chelsea's recent 2-1 victory away at Fulham. Away from home, in a match which may see Chelsea do a lot of defending, he could be the perfect outlet for the Blues again on Sunday.
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Chelsea over 1.5 goals
At some point in this match, one or both teams are going to have to throw caution to the wind and go all out for the win, potentially leaving gaping holes at the back.
Forest are a team more used to sitting back and soaking up pressure. How will they cope if they need to go in search of goals late on? This could leave them vulnerable.
We can also see both teams scoring, which means Chelsea will need to score at least twice if they are to get the win they badly need.
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📺 How to watch Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea
Location
: City Ground, Nottingham, England.
Date and time
: Sunday 25th May, 4pm.
How to watch
: Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Ultra HDR.
About the author
Craig Mahood
Craig Mahood is an expert in sports betting and online casinos and has worked with the company since 2020. He joined the Betting & Gaming team at The Sun in June 2022 and works closely with the leading bookmakers and online gaming companies to provide content on all areas of sports betting and gaming. He previously worked as a Digital Sports Reporter at the Scottish Sun, covering Scottish football with particular focus on Celtic and Rangers, As well as football, he has covered horse racing, boxing, darts, the Olympics and tennis for the Sun.
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