Nottingham Forest and Cardiff City will be hoping to progress when they face off in the FA Cup third round on Saturday afternoon.

The Championship duo have perhaps both been handed a favourable draw in what they hope could be the start of a surprise cup run during the second half of the season.

For Forest it's been a difficult season so far.

Chris Hughton's side find themselves sitting at the bottom end of the Championship table but may be boosted as they currently enjoy a five-match unbeaten run in the league.

They'll certainly be hoping that they can continue that against Cardiff City.

The Bluebirds currently sit in 15th place in the Championship and are a three-match losing run at present, meaning that the FA Cup could be a welcome distraction.

However according to Mark Lawrenson, it's Forest who he expects to come out on top at the City Ground with a 2-0 win being predicted.

Writing for BBC Sport, Lawrenson said: "Nottingham Forest have improved a lot in recent weeks and I'm going with them to beat a Cardiff side who have lost three in a row."

Quiz: Did these 20 things happen to Nottingham Forest in 2020?

The Verdict

The form book goes out of the window as FA Cup third round weekend rolls around.

Nottingham Forest will surely be favourites given that they have home advantage but perhaps the break from league action is just what Neil Harris's side will crave.

That said, I wouldn't bet against Forest based on their recent upturn in form.