NOTTINGHAM FOREST have boosted their Premier League survival hopes with two wins in their last three games and won't be overawed by a trip to Stamford Bridge with Chelsea desperate for a miserable campaign to end.
Steve Cooper's side have a tricky run-in, with this clash against the Blues followed by a home game against title-chasing Arsenal then a trip to Crystal Palace on the final day.
But successive home wins over Brighton and Southampton have lifted Nottingham Forest three points clear of the drop zone so one more victory might be enough to save their skins.
Forest haven't won away from home since way back in January, however, and Frank Lampard will be desperate for his underperforming Chelsea side to chalk up another victory after ending their six-game losing streak at Bournemouth last time out.
It has been one of the most disastrous seasons in recent memory from the Blues, with Lampard the fourth man at the helm after Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Bruno Saltor were relieved of their duties.
Had Tuchel not strung a few wins together so early in the campaign, Chelsea might have been embroiled in the relegation battle along with Forest. Despite lavishing millions on the squad, they have been left with an imbalanced and demotivated team.
Incoming boss Mauricio Pochettino faces a massive job in the summer but for now it's all about interim manager Lampard salvaging some personal pride after a horrific start to his second spell in charge.
How the bookies view it
Nottingham Forest have been written off for this one and are as big as 31/5 with Midnite. Chelsea's best price is just 13/25 with BetUK while the draw pays 18/5 at SpreadEx.
Recent head to head
Chelsea could only draw 1-1 at the City Ground earlier this season but had won seven in a row in this fixture before that. You have to go back to 1997 for Nottingham Forest's last win over the Blues and they haven't won at Stamford Bridge since 1995.
Players to watch
Noni Madueke has been handed a chance to impress at Chelsea in recent weeks and is starting to turn on the style. The winger scored in the defeat at Arsenal and was a huge threat against Bournemouth last weekend. He's 10/3 at Bet365 for anytime scorer here and 7/2 with McBookie for an assist.
Nottingham Forest are a big threat on the break with their pace and Brennan Johnson will fancy his chances of getting in behind the Chelsea defence. The Welshman is 24/5 at Unibet for anytime scorer and 11/2 at McBookie for an assist.
Anything else catch the eye?
Chelsea may have won at Bournemouth but they still conceded and were lucky not to ship more goals. They haven't kept a clean sheet since Lampard's arrival and Nottingham Forest look dangerous on the counter attack. That makes BTTS appealing at evens with Unibet while over 2.5 goals is 5/6 with BetVictor.
Backing the Blues in the corner handicap didn't work out for me at Bournemouth but they still won seven corners and could rack up a few more here. Over 7.5 Chelsea corners pays 5/4 at Unibet and backing the Blues at -3 in the handicap is 49/50 at the same firm.
Taiwo Awoniyi should lead the line for Nottingham Forest after netting twice in the vital win over Southampton. Unibet price him at 5/4 just to have a shot on target and that looks decent.
This English Premier League match between Chelsea and Nottingham Forest will be played on May 13, 2023 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
