Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest square off in a Friday night English Championship fixture with both teams looking to make a push for a playoff place. Separated by just two points on the table, a closely fought contest is predicted here but Sheffield United's solid home record is likely to give them the edge.
Sheffield United are coming off a 1-0 defeat to Millwall in their previous Championship fixture. They failed to capitalise on a solid first half display and were punished by the hosts who were much improved after the interval.
That was the first defeat in nine Championship matches for Sheffield United who will be keen to make a swift return to winning ways. Despite the result, they remain in the thick of the promotion playoff race, sitting just one point behind Luton Town in sixth.
Bramall Lane has been a good hunting ground for Sheffield United who are unbeaten in their last seven home matches. Paul Heckingbottom’s men have claimed five wins in that run, including a 1-0 victory over promotion chasing Blackburn Rovers.
Nottingham Forest have also shown some good form lately and head into Friday’s clash off the back of a 2-0 victory over Bristol City in their previous Championship fixture. Brennan Johnson opened the scoring in the first half while James Garner added the second after the break.
That result means Nottingham Forest have suffered just one defeat from their last eight Championship matches. Steve Cooper’s men are also in the mix for a playoff finish as they sit just three points off the top six.
One problem for Nottingham Forest is that they are often unconvincing on their travels. They have claimed just three wins from their last nine away matches with a 2-1 defeat at struggling Cardiff City among their results in that run.
How the bookies view it
The bookies have Sheffield United as favourites with a home win priced at 11/10 by William Hill. A victory for Nottingham Forest is valued at 3/1 by Betfred while betway is offering odds of 5/2 for a draw.
Recent head to head
Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest played out a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture back in November. However, the Blades have won three of the last four meetings at Bramall Lane.
Players to watch
Billy Sharp remains the one to watch for Sheffield United as he looks to add to his 12 Championship goals this season. The striker has also scored three times in his last four home matches and is priced at 7/4 with bet365.
Lewis Grabban is the top scorer for Nottingham Forest with 12 goals and is priced at 5/2 by Unibet to score anytime on Friday. However, with the striker failing to score in his last two appearances, midfielder Brennan Johnson could be worth keeping an eye on at 19/5 with Unibet having scored six goals in his last eight matches.
Anything else catch the eye?
Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest have quality in attack and with both teams on target in the reverse fixture, a repeat could be considered at evens with Quinnbet. The Blades have opened the scoring in five of their last six home matches and could be backed to grab the first goal at 4/5 with MansionBet.
All the goals in the reverse fixture were scored in the second half which could be tipped as the highest scoring half at 6/5 with Paddy Power.
This England Championship match between Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest will be played on Mar 4, 2022 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Sheffield United vs Nottingham Forest prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
