Nottingham Forest vs. Arsenal - Premier League Soccer Betting Odds

We are now deep into the back half of the 2023-2024 Premier League campaign, and both Arsenal and Nottingham Forest have a lot to play for. While Arsenal is battling at the top of the table to stay in the top four and possibly challenge for a title, Forest is sitting down in 16th fighting to stay out of the relegation zone with FFP charges hanging over their heads. Unsurprisingly, Arsenal come in as the big-time moneyline favorites on all betting sites and betting apps.

Nottingham Forest vs. Arsenal Premier League Soccer Betting Odds - January 30

Arsenal enters this game coming off of a much needed win over Crystal Palace where they were finally able to take advantage of their many chances, winning it by a score of 5-0. Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, is coming off a tough 3-2 loss to Brentford in the league and a frustrating scoreless draw against Bristol City in the fourth round of the FA Cup. All odds provided by Sports Interaction.

Arsenal’s most recent result against Crystal Palace shouldn’t have been so important considering Palace has been meandering around the bottom half of the table all season, currently sitting in 15th, but it wasn’t all about the opponent, it was about Arsenal themselves.

After a strong first few months to start the season, Arsenal hit a wall in the goal-scoring department around the holidays. In December alone, they barely squeaked by Luton, lost to Villa, drew to Liverpool, lost to both West Ham and Fulham in back-to-back games, then crashed out of the FA Cup against Liverpool in the first week of January to top it all off.

Now, you understand why they needed that win over Palace so badly. And with Liverpool on the horizon again next week, Arsenal will want to welcome Liverpool to the Emirates in the best possible frame of mind, which will require a dominant performance against Forest.

Last year, Forest was one of the best teams at home but also the worst away side in Premier League history. This year, they have more of a balance, though that just means they’ve been subpar no matter where they play, which is good news for the Arsenal.

Forest is actually going through a pretty rough patch right now, what with the FFP charges possibly resulting in a points deduction which would surely drop them into the relegation zone. Not to mention they’ve been awful at home lately, losing four of their last six at the City Ground while drawing one and winning one.

Arsenal hasn’t been great away from home this season, but they did recently get a well-earned draw at Anfield, one of the toughest away stadiums in the league. Mikel Arteta’s men also looked pretty gassed by the end of 2023, but after their time off in Dubai, they looked rejuvenated.

Most notably, Arsenal scored another two goals from set pieces against Palace, bringing their season total to a league-leading 13 set piece goals. And it just so happens that Forest have allowed the most goals from set pieces this year, with 11. It’s a match made in heaven for a dominant Arsenal performance here. That being said, it’s probably worth it to buy a goal and bet on Arsenal (-1) to win by two or more here at +110.

Both teams to score at -114 could also be an interesting shout, as it seems Arsenal has rediscovered their shooting boots and Forest have scored 2+ goals in their last four straight Premier League matches.

Nottingham Forest vs. Arsenal Player Goalscorer Betting Odds

These goalscorer odds always lead to some head scratching. Eddie Nketiah has scored just one goal since the start of November, a span of 14 games, and he’s only started twice in his last dozen appearances. And yet, he has the shortest odds to score a goal. Safe to say, that’s a pass.

Instead, we’ll look for a little bit of value lower down in the table. Chris Wood is especially intriguing at +260 considering his recent form. The big striker has scored five goals in his last four Premier League appearances, not to mention Forest has scored at least once in four of their last six matches against Arsenal. If any Forest player is likely to score, it’s Wood, though he will have his work cut out for him lining up across from William Saliba.

On the Arsenal side, Gabriel Martinelli is offering the most value at +200. He was one of the Arsenal players that saw a massive drop in form during that ugly spell in December, and he didn’t even start against Palace because of it.

However, he came on as a sub and scored two beautiful goals, which should get him back into form. If he can get into right back Gonzalo Montiel’s head early, he should have a field day, but he should expect to be fouled early and often.