Everton vs Nottingham Forest Prediction: Toffees can halt Forest momentum

Both unbeaten in their last four games, Everton and Nottingham Forest meet at Goodison Park on Sunday (15:00) looking to end the month and year on a high.

Read on for my Everton vs Nottingham Forest prediction, complete with all the latest team news and match odds, ahead of this last-ever Premier League head-to-head at Goodison Park before the Toffees move to Bramley-Moore dock next summer.

Team News

James Garner and Tim Iroegbunam are ruled out for Everton due to injury, while there are doubts over Iliman Ndiaye - who scored his side's equaliser in their Boxing Day draw at Manchester City (1-1) - and Dwight McNeil, the latter having missed the Toffees' last three games.

Football Odds

Nottingham Forest are without the suspended Ryan Yates, who picked up his fifth yellow card of the campaign in Thursday's 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur, as well as injured pair Ibrahim Sangare and Danilo.

Everton vs Nottingham Forest Odds

Everton are slight favourites at 13/8 to extend their fine form at Goodison Park and beat high-flying Forest, who are 15/8, or a 34.8% chance, to make it three away wins in a row.

The draw, which has landed in two of the previous four head-to-heads, is 9/4, and both teams to score is 5/6.

Match Result - Draw @ 9/4

Fourth-placed Forest have double the number of points of 15th-placed Everton (17) and after beating Manchester United (2-3) and Brentford (0-2) away from home this month, as well as overcoming Aston Villa (2-1) and Tottenham Hotspur (1-0) at the City Ground, will back themselves to take all three points at Goodison Park where the Toffees have won just twice this season.

Both of Everton's wins at home have come against sides below them in the Premier League table, Crystal Palace (2-1) and Wolves (4-0), and their victory over the latter on December 4 remains their only triumph since beating Ipswich Town (0-2), another team beneath them, at Portman Road on October 19.

The price of a Forest win, then, at 15/8 - making them underdogs - is appealing, but while Everton have won just once in their last nine games, they have only lost two in that run, drawing five times including their previous three, and are unbeaten in four; in fact, after losing their first four league matches, the last of which came at Aston Villa (3-2) on September 14, Everton have lost just twice (in 13 outings).

Everton's last defeat at Goodison Park, meanwhile, was way back on August 31 against AFC Bournemouth (2-3).

Sean Dyche has made the Toffees incredibly difficult to beat on home soil and four of their last five games at Goodison, including their most recent one against Chelsea (0-0) on December 22, have ended in a stalemate, so I'm leaning toward Sunday's clash with Forest finishing level.

Remarkably, after drawing four of their first seven league matches, Forest have won eight and lost three of their previous 11, last experiencing a stalemate at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea (1-1) on October 6.

Forest's last victory over Everton, though, came in January 1999 when they won 1-0 at Goodison. Both meetings in the 2022/23 campaign ended level - 1-1 at Goodison and 2-2 at the City Ground - before Everton won home (2-0) and away (0-1) last season. Forest are a much better side than last season, of course, but it's something that may be in the back of their mind on Sunday, and the home side's unbeaten run will also give Blues supporters some belief despite the points disparity between Everton and Forest.

Ultimately, I think this one ends in a draw, which wouldn't be the worst result for either team.

Bet Builder - Total Goals Under 2.5, Nikola Milenkovic 1+ Shots, Orel Mangala 1+ Shots & 1+ Fouls @ 4/1

A strong defence has been key for both Everton and Forest this season, despite their contrasting positions in the Premier League table. Forest (19) are one of just five teams who have conceded fewer goals than Everton (22) who have the best defensive record outside the top six.

Unsurprisingly, both sides feature highly in the 'under 2.5 goals' table, with only Arsenal (11) featuring in more games to finish with two or fewer goals than Everton and Forest (10 - level with Ipswich Town, Southampton and Crystal Palace). Everton's last three games have all gone under 2.5 total goals and four of their last five at Goodison have seen two or fewer strikes.

Forest's last two matches have gone under 2.5 and with three of the four head-to-heads between the pair - including both last season - ending with two or fewer goals, it looks like a strong selection to start off this 4/1 Bet Builder.

Next, I'm backing Forest defender Nikola Milenkovic, who has scored twice for the Tricky Trees this month - against Man United and Villa - to register at least one shot, something he has managed in his last 10 games, and he is averaging over a shot (1.1) per game for the season.

The final two picks both centre around former Forest midfielder Orel Mangala, who signed on loan for Everton from Lyon in the first few weeks of the current campaign. The Belgian has been busy making himself a mainstay in Dyche's team of late and he's been contributing going forwards as well as doing his defensive shift.

The 26-year-old is averaging 0.8 shots per game this season and has taken two in each of his last two games despite facing Chelsea and Man City. Against his former club on Sunday, I think Mangala will be extra motivated to let fly, so backing him for at least one shot makes sense, as does one foul.

Mangala is averaging 1.1 fouls per game this term and has committed at least one in all but one of his nine starts for the Toffees.

Offers

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