By Cole Gallagher / August 18, 2026
Premier League · Aug 22, 2026 · City Ground, Nottingham · 10:00 AM ET / 3:00 PM BST
⚽ Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United ⚽
Premier League books post lines closer to kickoff. Check back nearer August 22 for a live number.
Nottingham Forest host newly promoted Leeds United at the City Ground in a Matchweek 1 fixture with real history behind it, and both sides are back at the same ground three days later for an EFL Cup rematch. Oliver Glasner’s Forest enter off an extensive pre-season slate through Portugal, while Daniel Farke’s Leeds arrive fresh off Championship promotion. Here is our breakdown, part of our season-long look at the top bookmakers covering the Premier League this year.
Odds Comparison
| Sportsbook | Nottingham Forest | Draw | Leeds United |
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Both Teams to Score
Total Goals
Team Analysis
Nottingham Forest
Oliver Glasner takes over a Forest side that put in a heavy pre-season programme, including wins over Notts County and Blackburn Rovers before a tour through Portugal against European opposition. The one injury concern is Nicolo Savona, who misses the opener, but otherwise Forest look well-drilled and battle-tested heading into the new campaign at a City Ground that is traditionally one of the league’s tougher away trips.
Key Storyline: Glasner’s Forest arrive battle-tested off an extensive European pre-season tour
Leeds United
Daniel Farke returns to the Premier League with Leeds United after guiding them back up via the Championship, but his side will be without goalkeeper Lucas Perri and winger Gabriel Gudmundsson for the trip to Nottingham. Farke has a track record of getting promoted sides organized quickly, but an away day at a well-prepared Forest side is a tough opening ask while missing personnel of his own.
Key Storyline: Farke’s Leeds are missing No.1 keeper Perri and winger Gudmundsson for the opener
Key Betting Angles
Forest’s extensive pre-season and home advantage at the City Ground give them the edge here, but Leeds’ injury absences in both goal and out wide make this a genuinely tricky one to call with total confidence. Expect a tight, physical opener between two sides who meet again in the League Cup just days later — the sort of game where a single set piece could decide it.
We are tracking the full Premier League Matchweek 1 slate, plus everything else on the board, over on worldcupbetting.ca.
Our Prediction
Cole’s Pick: a tight one, lean Nottingham Forest at home
Forest’s preparation and home advantage edge this, but Leeds’ resilience under Farke and the unpredictability of a first Premier League match in years keeps this from being a lock. A narrow home win feels like the right call.
Confidence: low-to-medium given the absences on both sides
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Cole Gallagher covers soccer betting for WorldCupBetting.ca, specialising in match predictions, odds analysis and tournament futures. Based in Toronto, he has followed the Canadian men’s national team since their 2022 qualifying campaign and brings a line-shopping, data-first approach to every pick.