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Nottingham Forest are in action for the first time in 2024 when they play host to Blackpool at City Ground in the FA Cup third round on Sunday.
The League One side head into the weekend fresh off the back of a comfortable New Year’s Day victory over Lincoln City and will look to build on that result.
The appointment of Nuno Espírito Santo has brought a change in fortune for Nottingham Forest, who picked up back-to-back wins for the first time since January 2023 last Saturday.
Having hammered Newcastle United 3-1 on Boxing Day to end their seven-match winless run, the Portuguese head coach guided the Reds to a historic 2-1 victory over Manchester United in their final game of the year.
Nottingham Forest will now look to pick up where they dropped off last time out as they begin their quest for a third FA Cup crown.
Blackpool, on the other hand, kicked off the new year on a high as they picked up a 2-0 victory over Lincoln City on New Year’s Day.
Prior to that, Neil Critchley’s men were on a two-match losing run, suffering successive defeats against Burton Albion and Port Vale respectively.
Blackpool now turn their attention to the FA Cup, where they kicked off their campaign with a 2-0 victory over Bromley on November 4, before seeing off Forest Green Rovers 3-0 in the second round.
Nottingham Forest vs Blackpool Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- With 38 wins from the last 87 meetings between the two long-time rivals, Nottingham Forest boast a superior record in the history of this fixture.
- Blackpool have picked up 28 wins in that time, while the spoils have been shared on 27 occasions.
- Nottingham Forest are unbeaten in five of their last six games against Critchley’s men, claiming three wins and two draws since February 2014.
- Blackpool are currently on a run of three successive away defeats, conceding six goals and scoring just once since November’s 4-0 victory at Portsmouth.
Nottingham Forest vs Blackpool Prediction
Nottingham Forest have upped the ante in recent weeks and will be hoping for a strong showing in the second half of the season. The Reds head into the game as the more in-form side and we are backing them to pick up the desired result.
Prediction: Nottingham Forest 2-1 Blackpool
Nottingham Forest vs Blackpool Betting Tips
Tip 1: Nottingham Forest to win
Tip 2: Both sides to score - Yes (Both sides have scored in four of Nottingham Forest’s last five matches)
Tip 3: Over 10.5 corners - No (There have been fewer than 11 corner kicks in six of the hosts’ last eight outings)
