Football Betting Tips & Predictions in Nigeria - betCompare

Sunderland vs Nottingham Forest Predictions - April 24, 2026

Written by betCompare Editor | Apr 23, 2026 3:39:52 PM
Premier League Matchday 34 Friday Night
Sunderland vs Nottingham Forest
Friday 24 April 2026  •  Kick-off 20:00 WAT (20:00 BST)  •  Stadium of Light, Sunderland
Live web research active — data current as of 23 April 2026

Match context

Sunderland sit 11th on 46 points after 33 games — a comfortable mid-table season for the promoted side with a 15-point cushion above 18th-placed Tottenham. Nottingham Forest occupy 16th on 36 points, holding a slim 4–5 point buffer above the relegation zone, which makes this a high-stakes evening for the visitors and a low-stakes fixture for the hosts in terms of league consequence.

Forest drew 1-1 at Porto in the Europa League quarter-final earlier in April, but this is the next PL fixture in their schedule and Vitor Pereira is expected to field a near-strongest available XI. No meaningful rotation risk has been identified from pre-match reporting.

Team news

Sunderland
OutOmar Alderete (CB) — injury sustained vs Aston Villa
OutSimon Moore (GK) — long-term
OutRomaine Mundle (LW) — long-term
OutBertrand Traoré — knee, return targeted for May
DoubtDan Ballard (CB) — returned as sub vs Villa, may start
DoubtNilson Angulo — close to return per manager
XI4-2-3-1: Roefs; Mukiele, O'Nien, Ballard, Mandava; Xhaka, Sadiki; Rigg, Diarra, Le Fée; Brobbey
Nottingham Forest
OutCallum Hudson-Odoi (W) — quad surgery, season over
OutTaiwo Awoniyi (CF) — long-term
OutWilly Boly (CB) — injury
OutNicolò Savona (RB) — injury
OutJohn Victor (GK) — injury
DoubtMurillo (CB), Dan Ndoye — late fitness checks
XI4-2-3-1: Sels; Aina, Milenković, Jair Cunha, Williams; Sangaré, Anderson; Bakwa, Gibbs-White, Hutchinson; Wood
Market impact: Alderete's absence removes a senior centre-back, though Ballard's likely return mitigates much of that. Forest's attacking depth is the bigger story — Hudson-Odoi and Awoniyi out for the season places the creative load on Gibbs-White, who has delivered six goals in his last six league matches. Net effect: a small negative pressure on Sunderland's clean-sheet chances, offset by Forest's reduced attacking options away from home.

Referee & context

Referee Darren England Confirmed appointment
Classification Low-Medium 2.90 yellows/game career avg
Cards confidence Medium Variable 2025-26 sample
Implication Under 4.5 cards environment on paper, but sample variance means this is not a standalone edge.

Statistical profile & xG

Sunderland (home)
xG for / game~1.18
Shots / game~10.0
Shots on target / game~3.25
Home goals conceded14 in 16 (3rd best PL)
Season Under 2.5 rate~59%
2H scoring streak14 consecutive PL
Nottingham Forest (away)
Goals vs xG (season)+2.96 (overperforming)
Goals conceded vs xGA-5.47 (overperforming)
Away goals (last 5)9 scored, 7 conceded
Away Over 2.5 rate (last 5)4/5
Gibbs-White last 6 PL6 goals
Points last 5 PL8 of 15
xG note: Forest's combined over-performance on both sides of the ball (+2.96 goals vs xG, -5.47 vs xGA) flags regression risk. Their recent away matches have also been high-scoring — four of the last five went over 2.5 goals — which pulls in the opposite direction to Sunderland's tight home defensive numbers. These two signals genuinely conflict and are reflected in the more cautious assessments below.

Form & head-to-head

Sunderland — last 5 home (PL)
W 1-0 Spurs L 0-1 Brighton L 1-3 Fulham L 0-1 Liverpool W 3-0 Burnley
Three defeats in the last five home matches after a strong opening run at Stadium of Light. Sunderland scored in 3 of 5, with only the Fulham loss (1-3) producing BTTS Yes. Home defensive numbers remain 3rd best in the league on season totals.
Nottm Forest — last 5 away (all comps)
D 1-1 Porto W 0-3 Spurs W 1-3 Midtjylland D 2-2 Man City L 1-2 Brighton
Unbeaten in 4 of last 5 away including a 3-0 result at Tottenham. Forest have scored in all 5 away matches, with 4/5 going over 2.5 goals and 4/5 BTTS Yes. Travelling attack has been the story of their April.
Head-to-head — last 5 meetings at Stadium of Light Venue-matched dataset — all five meetings below were played with Sunderland at home. Only one is a Premier League fixture and that was 1997. Treat as a thin historical reference rather than a live signal.
Date Comp Home Score Away BTTS Goals
12.09.17 Championship Sunderland 0–1 Nottm Forest No 1
14.09.04 Championship Sunderland 2–0 Nottm Forest No 2
10.01.04 Championship Sunderland 1–0 Nottm Forest No 1
08.11.97 Championship Sunderland 1–1 Nottm Forest Yes 2
22.03.97 Premier League Sunderland 1–1 Nottm Forest Yes 2
H2H summary (venue-matched primary): None of the five meetings at Stadium of Light produced more than two goals. Average goals per meeting: 1.6. BTTS Yes rate: 2/5 (40%). Sunderland record: 2W-2D-1L, but the single most recent meeting (2017) was a Forest win. Weight: historical data is old (most recent Premier League meeting at this venue was 1997) and carries low predictive weight in the current form-driven picture.

Market probability table

Verdict Market Outcome Odds My Assessment
🔵 Good Bet Draw No Bet Forest (or draw refund) 1.87 55% — Forest win, stake refunded on draw
🎯 Solid Pick Red Card in Match No sending off 1.16 86% — no red card expected
🎯 Solid Pick Sunderland Team Goals Over 0.5 (Sunderland to score) 1.38 71% — Sunderland to find the net
🎯 Solid Pick Double Chance Draw or Forest (X2) 1.44 67% — Forest avoid defeat
🟡 Speculative Match Result (1X2) Nottm Forest 2.73 39% — away win
🟡 Speculative Forest Team Goals Over 0.5 (Forest to score) 1.36 74% — Forest to score
⚪ No Edge Match Result (1X2) Draw 3.32 28% — stalemate
⚪ No Edge Double Chance Sunderland or Forest (12) 1.36 72% — one team wins
⚪ No Edge Total Goals O/U 2.5 Under 2.5 1.73 56% — fewer than 2.5 goals
⚪ No Edge Total Goals O/U 2.5 Over 2.5 2.15 44% — 3+ goals
⚪ No Edge Both Teams To Score Yes (GG) 1.88 50% — both to score
⚪ No Edge Both Teams To Score No 1.93 50% — at least one clean sheet
⚪ No Edge Total Cards O/U 4.5 Under 4.5 1.59 58% — below the line
⚪ No Edge Total Corners O/U 9.5 Under 9.5 1.99 51% — below the line
⛔ Avoid Match Result (1X2) Sunderland 2.84 33% — home win
⛔ Avoid Draw No Bet Sunderland 1.94 45% — Sunderland win, refund on draw
⛔ Avoid Double Chance Sunderland or Draw (1X) 1.47 61% — Sunderland avoid defeat

Betting tips

🔵 Good Bet
🔵
Good Bet Forest Draw No Bet
Odds 1.87

This is where the value is. Sunderland have lost three of their last five at home — Brighton, Fulham (1-3), and Liverpool — following a strong opening run at Stadium of Light. Forest, by contrast, are unbeaten in four of their last five on the road across all competitions, including a 3-0 statement win at Tottenham and a 2-2 draw at Manchester City. They also earned a 1-1 result at Porto in the Europa League. That is three Strong signals stacking in the same direction: a home slump, a travelling side in form, and genuine relegation-fight motivation for Forest to take a result here.

The Draw No Bet structure removes the draw risk — if the match is level at full time, stake is returned. This is the cleanest way to express a Forest-positive view without betting the outright win at bigger odds.

⚠️ Conditional: This tip assumes Forest's expected XI with Gibbs-White starting. If Gibbs-White is withdrawn for rotation ahead of the Europa semi-final, the attacking impact reduces and the assessment tightens.
🎯 Solid Pick
🎯
Solid Pick No Red Card in Match
Odds 1.16

Our assessment puts the probability at 86% — a high-confidence prediction. A low-to-medium classification referee, no historical rivalry edge between these clubs, and a Forest side motivated to play a disciplined, composed away performance all argue against a sending off. The price reflects most of this already, so the mathematical edge is small, but it is a reliable leg for your accumulator.

🎯
Solid Pick Sunderland Over 0.5 Goals
Odds 1.38

Our assessment puts Sunderland's chance of finding the net at 71%. They have scored in three of their last five home games (even in the two recent losses to Brighton and Liverpool, they still troubled the goalkeeper), and their 14-game consecutive second-half scoring streak reflects genuine attacking continuity. Forest have kept just one clean sheet in their last five away matches. The price is fair rather than cheap, but it is a strong candidate for a short-odds accumulator leg.

🎯
Solid Pick Double Chance — Draw or Forest
Odds 1.44

Our assessment puts the probability of Forest avoiding defeat at 67% — a high-confidence prediction that covers both an away win and a draw. Same underlying thesis as the Draw No Bet above (Sunderland home slump + Forest away form), but with draw coverage locked in rather than refunded. The odds are short, so the return is modest, but this is one of the cleanest accumulator legs available on this fixture.

🟡 Speculative
🟡
Speculative Nottm Forest to Win
Odds 2.73

Same underlying thesis as the Draw No Bet, but backing the outright win at bigger odds. Forest's road form — including the 3-0 win at Spurs and the draw at Manchester City — suggests a team capable of taking three points here. The speculative label reflects that the draw is a genuine alternative outcome at these prices, so the outright win carries more variance than the DNB.

Pick one: Forest 1X2, Forest DNB, or X2 Double Chance. All three express the same view with different risk profiles.

🟡
Speculative Forest Over 0.5 Goals
Odds 1.36

Forest have scored in all five of their last away matches across all competitions — at Porto, at Tottenham, at Midtjylland, at Manchester City, and at Brighton. Gibbs-White's six goals in six league matches gives them a reliable source of output, and Wood's presence up top adds a second scoring threat. Sunderland's three recent home clean sheets (Tottenham, Liverpool, Burnley) pull slightly against this, but Forest's 100% away scoring rate is hard to argue with at these odds.

⚪ No Edge

These markets were assessed and found fairly priced — no meaningful edge identified:

Under 2.5 Goals @ 1.73 Forest's 4/5 Overs in recent away matches cancels out Sunderland's tight home defence. Assessment 56% vs fair 55.4% — fractional.
Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.15 Mirror of Under 2.5 — conflicting signals resolve close to fair price.
BTTS Yes @ 1.88 / BTTS No @ 1.93 Forest have landed BTTS Yes in 4/5 away, but Sunderland have landed BTTS No in 4/5 home. These cancel out — assessment ~50/50 for both.
Match Result — Draw @ 3.32 Priced close to our 28% assessment; no meaningful edge.
Under 4.5 Cards @ 1.59 Referee profile supports the Under on career averages, but Darren England's 2025-26 sample has been variable (four matches with six yellows this season). Assessment sits slightly below fair price.
Under 9.5 Corners @ 1.99 No standout directional signal on corners; assessment essentially fair.
Double Chance 12 @ 1.36 Priced close to fair given the draw probability — no meaningful edge.
⛔ Avoid

These markets look overpriced at current odds — we recommend skipping:

Sunderland to Win @ 2.84 Home form has collapsed — 3 defeats in last 5 home, including losses to Brighton, Fulham and Liverpool. Assessment 33% vs fair 34.5%. Value gap -1.5%.
Sunderland Draw No Bet @ 1.94 Same thesis as the outright: assessment 45% vs fair 49.1%. Value gap -4.1%. Directly mirrors the Forest DNB value in the opposite direction.
Double Chance 1X (Sunderland or Draw) @ 1.47 Assessment 61% vs fair 64.0%. The home slump makes Sunderland-not-losing significantly overpriced relative to Forest-not-losing at similar odds.

Missing markets — analytical flags only

Markets absent from the submitted odds sheet where analytical signals would otherwise have produced a call. Flagged here for visibility only; no tip is issued without priced odds.

Market Signal direction Flag reason
1st Half 1X2 Draw lean Not individually priced in submitted tabs.
Gibbs-White anytime scorer Positive signal Player market locked. Six goals in last six PL would have produced a Speculative call.
Chris Wood anytime scorer Positive signal Player market locked. Forest's main target man with consistent shot volume.
Brobbey / Le Fée anytime scorer Mild positive Player markets locked. Scoring form is strong but not a standout call.
Race to 1 goal No strong lean Not priced in submitted tabs. Both sides score regularly.

Accumulator builder notes

Equivalent markets — do not stack Forest DNB @ 1.87, Forest 1X2 @ 2.73, and Double Chance X2 @ 1.44 all express the same underlying "Forest does not lose" view with different risk profiles. Adding two or three of them to the same accumulator multiplies your exposure to the same scenario without multiplying edge. Pick one leg per slip.
Banker leg No Red Card @ 1.16 (assessment 86%) is the cleanest banker on the card — short odds, high probability, no meaningful structural condition.
Acca combination suggestion Forest Draw No Bet (1.87) + Sunderland Over 0.5 (1.38) + No Red Card (1.16) combines to approximately 2.99 — a three-leg low-variance accumulator that keeps the key Forest thesis, adds goals coverage, and closes out with a banker.

Analysis confidence

OverallMedium-High
Odds parsingHigh
Live research🟢 Active
Data completenessFull (5 tabs)
H2H dataIndicative only (old sample)
RefereeConfirmed (Darren England)

Assessment note: The primary edge is the Forest-not-losing cluster, which rests on two independent Strong signals (Sunderland's three home defeats in five, Forest's unbeaten four in five on the road). Confidence on that cluster is Medium-High. The venue-matched head-to-head is historically very thin — the most recent PL meeting at Stadium of Light was 1997 — so the goals markets rely almost entirely on current-season form, which is where Forest's 4/5 away Overs cancels out Sunderland's home defensive quality. That conflict is the reason Under 2.5 does not carry a tip. Forest's xG overperformance on both sides of the ball (+2.96, -5.47) is the main regression risk against our core thesis.

Responsible betting This analysis is produced for informational and entertainment purposes only. All betting carries risk. Tips represent assessed value based on available data and are not guarantees of outcome. Please bet responsibly and within your means. If you feel your betting is becoming a problem, contact the National Responsible Gambling Programme (NRGP Nigeria).