Newcastle vs Nottingham Forest predictions: Magpies to bounce back
- Newcastle sit seventh in the table
- Forest are down in 17th
- Recommended bet: Newcastle to win and both teams to score
Newcastle's bid to finish in the top four again this season suffered another setback at Luton on Saturday but they should be able to get the better of Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day.
Forest put up a fight in Nuno Espirito Santo's first game in charge against Bournemouth but have now lost six of their last seven matches and look to be heading for a relegation scrap in the second half of the campaign.
Team news
Newcastle centre-back Jamaal Lascelles pulled up and was forced off at Luton before half-time so he will be assessed before the Forest game, while boss Eddie Howe remains without several first-teamers.
Joelinton, Harvey Barnes, Nick Pope, Javier Manquillo and Elliot Anderson are all still out injured and Sandro Tonali is suspended for the hosts.
Forest are without the suspended Willy Boly, who was sent off against Bournemouth, while Taiwo Awoniyi, Felipe and Serge Aurier are amongst those struggling with injuries for the visitors.
The stats
Newcastle have won eight of their nine home league games so far.
Forest have won just once away from home all season.
Newcastle did the double over Forest last season, winning 2-0 at home and 2-1 away.
The Magpies are the joint-second highest scorers at home this season, with 22 goals — four behind Aston Villa's total of 26.
Prediction
Newcastle's involvement in the Champions League and a lengthy injury list has affected them so far this term and the unexpected defeat at Luton means Howe's men have now lost seven times in the top flight already and they sit seven points off the top four.
Their struggles are particularly evident on the road, where they have won just once all season.
In contrast, back at St James' Park, they are still a force to be reckoned with as they have won eight of their nine league games, with only Liverpool winning in the north east so far back in August.
The Jekyll and Hyde nature of the Toon's campaign means their chances of securing a return to the Champions League look to be very much in the balance but they should be relied upon to at least see off Forest.
Nuno has been given the tough task of trying to steer the East Midlanders to safety and there were some good signs in his debut game in charge against the Cherries when they battled back to 2-2 with 10 men before losing out to a late Dominic Solanke goal.
Forest, who grabbed a 1-1 draw at Wolves in their most recent away outing and also managed to score twice at West Ham in a 3-2 defeat earlier this month, should get on the scoresheet again on Boxing Day but it will probably not be enough for them to get anything from the game.
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