Brighton & Hove Albion v Nottingham Forest: FA Cup prediction and tips as Seagulls claim revenge

Our second FA Cup tie of the day takes us to the South Coast where Brighton will be hoping to swoop like a seagull on hot chips as the opportunity to grace a Wemmbley semi-final presents itself.

Standing in their way will be Nottingham Forest, the Premier League’s surprise package currently on course of Champions League football.

Albion came away from both league meetings disappointed, first failing to beat 10-man Forest in a 2-2 draw at the AMEX Stadium.

That setback was nothing compared to what happened at the City Ground, as Nuno Espirito Santo’s side handed the Seagulls their heaviest-ever defeat in the Premier League, an embarrassing 7-0 drubbing.

Not quite the 18 goals Norwich stuck past them during the war, but still pretty bad.

Revenge and professional pride will surely be motivating factors when the sides clash on Saturday evening.

Good luck and please gamble responsibly.

(All Bet365 odds are correct at the time of article publication)

 

Brighton v Nottingham Forest betting tips

Over 2.5 goals & both teams to score - 11/10

Brighton to win & over 2.5 goals - 7/4

Brighton goal before 42:00 - 5/6

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Brighton v Nottingham Forest betting preview

It’s hard to argue with Brighton being priced as 4/5 favourites. They’ve discovered their best form at a crucial stage of the season, plus they’ll want revenge.

On the other hand, Forest have defied the odds all season despite being consistently written off by the bookmakers.

It's hard to say odds of just above 3/1 do represent any value on paper, as Forest are an 11/4 shot by our reckoning, but that’s before you factor in the revenge angle.

Fabian Hurzeler’s side is fighting for its life to secure European football and as well as being hot on the tails of sixth-place Newcastle, they’ll see the FA Cup as a realistic route back to Europe.

They’ve won five of seven across all competitions, outplayed Man City in a 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium, and came from behind at St James’ Park to knock the Toon Army out of the cup in extra time.

As unfair as it is to criticise Forest, there’s still this nagging doubt in our minds that they could get left behind when teams step up during the run-in, which is what Brighton are doing.

We also have to acknowledge that the defence has outperformed the underlying numbers and that there’s been clear regression, as they’ve conceded 15 goals in five away matches.

A final like Aston Villa v Nottinham Forest would be a fantastic throwback and a refreshing change for the FA Cup, which will become the most open in memory if Bournemouth can dump Man City out.

That said, we think the defensive cracks that are showing in Forest’s away performances leave them vulnerable to a Brighton side that can score goals.

Given what happened at the City Ground, they would love to opportunity to score three or four.

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