Premier League 
The spotlight shines brightly on the Amex Stadium this weekend as Brighton & Hove Albion host Nottingham Forest in a Premier League fixture brimming with contrasting narratives.
Brighton, rejuvenated under Roberto De Zerbi, find themselves back in the European conversation, sitting ninth in the table. Across the pitch, Nottingham Forest, teetering precariously in 17th place, desperately fight for survival in the top flight.
The home side currently find themselves in 9th position in the league table, having gained 39 points from their 27 league games this season. The Seagulls come into this game on the back of an inconsistent run of form which has seen them record two wins, two defeats and one draw in their last five games.
Steve Cooper's side find themselves in a relegation scrap, a stark contrast to the joyous return to the top flight they envisioned. With only six wins in 27 games, their away form has been particularly concerning. A leaky defence, conceding 18 goals in their last seven games on the road, needs an immediate fix if they are to avoid the drop.
In their last game, Forest were defeated by Liverpool in dramatic, controversial fashion. The Reds, despite dominating possession, struggled to break down a resolute Forest defence. Substitute Darwin Nunez rose to the occasion in the 99th minute, heading home Alexis Mac Allister's cross to secure a crucial 1-0 win.
Brighton & Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest boast a long-standing rivalry dating back to the 1900s. Their first encounter came in 1901, a friendly match won 2-1 by Forest. Throughout their history, they've met in various competitions, with Brighton holding a slight edge in wins 15 compared to Forest's 12.
Their most recent encounter, played in November 2023 at the City Ground, was a five-goal thriller. Forest took an early lead through Brennan Johnson, but Brighton's Leandro Trossard equalised before halftime.
The second half saw a flurry of goals, with Joao Pedro netting a brace for Brighton, while Emmanuel Dennis pulled one back for Forest. Ultimately, Pascal Groß secured a dramatic 3-2 victory for the Seagulls in the dying minutes.
It is Brighton who are heavily favoured at the bookies ahead of this weekend’s matchup and they are currently priced @ 8/11, whilst an away win for Nottingham Forest is priced @ 10/3 and a draw is currently @ 3/1.
We are backing Nottingham Forest to win and over 2.5 goals in the game because this is a fixture which often results in high scoring affairs. In the last six meetings between these two teams, five of the games have resulted in over 2.5 goals.
We believe that Forest may have an advantage in the game given the fact that Brighton played in Europe on Thursday evening. The Seagulls will only have two days of rest and do not have the best form heading into this weekend, having lost their last game 3-0.