Nottingham Forest host Bournemouth at The City Ground on Sunday, May 24 (11:00 AM ET / 10:00 AM CT / 8:00 AM PT) on the Premier League’s final day, with Bournemouth’s Europa qualification still in their own hands.
Our Nottingham Forest vs Bournemouth prediction starts with the table picture: Bournemouth, sixth-placed with 56 points, travel to the City Ground holding the final Europa qualification spot, while Nottingham Forest sit in sixteenth on 43 with safety already banked. Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola has overseen a season-defining year that they can now seal with a result here, and the trip away is to a Forest side with nothing more than pride at stake.
bet365 prices Bournemouth at +100 to win, with Nottingham Forest at +230 and the draw at +280. The visitors travel as favorites for a reason — Bournemouth have lost just five of 18 league trips and have collected five points from their last three Premier League meetings with Forest.
Nottingham Forest vs Bournemouth: Best Bets & Predictions
The away side is the rightful favorite but the markets have signal across multiple selections.
| Our Prediction | Odds & Sportsbook | Confidence | Why We’re Backing It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bournemouth to Win | +100 @ bet365 (50%) | ⭐⭐⭐ | Bournemouth have lost just five away league games all season and arrive on a four-game unbeaten run. Forest’s home record (four wins from 18) does not threaten a side this organized on the road. |
| Correct Score: 1-3 Bournemouth | +1600 @ bet365 (6%) | ⭐⭐ | Both teams have scored in 12 of Bournemouth’s 18 away trips. A 1-3 away win echoes Bournemouth’s 5-0 in this fixture in January and the heavier-scoring shape of recent meetings. |
| Evanilson Anytime Goalscorer | +150 @ bet365 (40%) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Six league goals from 2,686 minutes and the price reflects Bournemouth’s reliance on him for finishing. With a settled XI travelling, Evanilson is the most likely scorer on the card. |
| Over 2.5 Goals | -200 @ bet365 (67%) | ⭐⭐⭐ | Bournemouth have averaged Over 2.5 in 12 of 18 away games this season, and Forest have shipped 50 league goals. Recent meetings have averaged 3.4 goals per fixture. |
| Both Teams to Score: Yes | -200 @ bet365 (67%) | ⭐⭐⭐ | Both sides have scored in eight of Forest’s 18 home matches and 12 of Bournemouth’s 18 away trips. Natural companion to Over 2.5. |
Our approach: Start with Bournemouth to Win at even money, layer Evanilson anytime as the player-prop value, and add Over 2.5 as the over-friendly leg.
Odds correct at the time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.
Prediction Markets: Live Odds & Win Probability
The race for the final Europa qualification spot is the live prediction-market story tied to this fixture. Polymarket and Kalshi are both pricing Bournemouth as favored to hold sixth and lock the spot, with Brighton and Brentford the chasing pack.
For this individual fixture, match-specific prediction market pricing for Nottingham Forest vs Bournemouth has not yet surfaced at time of writing. The sportsbook read is the cleaner tool for the 90-minute call. We’ll update here if and when Kalshi or Polymarket list the fixture.
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Season Form & Standings
Bournemouth carry the live stake here. Sixth place buys Europa qualification, and the chasers above and below them all hold their own final-day fixtures. The 2025-26 Premier League Europa qualification odds page tracks the live market, and our Brighton vs Manchester United preview covers Brighton’s Conference-spot chase.
| Team | Pos | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bournemouth | 6 | 37 | 13 | 17 | 7 | 57 | 53 | +4 | 56 |
| Nottingham Forest | 16 | 37 | 11 | 10 | 16 | 47 | 50 | -3 | 43 |
Potential Match-Winners
- Evanilson (Bournemouth): Six league goals this season — the Brazilian is the visiting side’s first-choice center forward and the most reliable single scorer on the card.
- Marcus Tavernier (Bournemouth): Six goals and four assists this season with eight big chances created — the kind of dual-threat midfielder who finds the net or creates one on the road.
- Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest): 14 league goals and four assists this season — Forest’s leading scorer and the only home name with elite-tier output this season.
- Igor Jesus (Nottingham Forest): Six goals and four assists this season — Forest’s second-line striker has been a steady contributor and should lead the line at home.
Head-to-Head
Bournemouth have dominated the recent series, winning the last two Premier League meetings and going unbeaten in five against Forest.
| Date | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 26, 2025 | Bournemouth 2-0 Nottingham Forest | Premier League |
| Jan 25, 2025 | Bournemouth 5-0 Nottingham Forest | Premier League |
| Aug 17, 2024 | Nottingham Forest 1-1 Bournemouth | Premier League |
| Feb 4, 2024 | Bournemouth 1-1 Nottingham Forest | Premier League |
| Dec 23, 2023 | Nottingham Forest 2-3 Bournemouth | Premier League |
Recent Form
Nottingham Forest: W W W D L (oldest left → most recent right)
- May 17, 2026: Manchester United 3-2 Nottingham Forest (L, away)
- May 10, 2026: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Newcastle (D, home)
- May 4, 2026: Chelsea 1-3 Nottingham Forest (W, away)
- Apr 24, 2026: Sunderland 0-5 Nottingham Forest (W, away)
- Apr 19, 2026: Nottingham Forest 4-1 Burnley (W, home)
Three wins on the bounce in late April have turned into a draw and a defeat as the season has wound down, and Forest’s home form remains the underlying concern — four wins from 18 league fixtures at The City Ground is the second-lowest home total in the safe half of the table.
Bournemouth: W D W W D
- May 19, 2026: Bournemouth 1-1 Manchester City (D, home)
- May 9, 2026: Fulham 0-1 Bournemouth (W, away)
- May 3, 2026: Bournemouth 3-0 Crystal Palace (W, home)
- Apr 22, 2026: Bournemouth 2-2 Leeds (D, home)
- Apr 18, 2026: Newcastle 1-2 Bournemouth (W, away)
Four unbeaten and 11 points from the last 15 — Bournemouth have peaked at the right moment. The 1-1 with City on Tuesday was the kind of professional draw that points to a side defending its Europa spot on the road.
Nottingham Forest vs Bournemouth Prediction
This is a final-day fixture where the away side has the stakes and the form and the home side is on the beach. Bournemouth to Win at +100 with bet365 is the right call given the visitors’ away record and the Europa qualification motivation, with the Evanilson player prop as the value lean. Kick-off is 11:00 AM ET at The City Ground.
Odds correct at the time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.
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