Sky Sports EFL pundit David Prutton has suggested Nottingham Forest will fail to win for the sixth time in nine games under Chris Hughton when they take on Bournemouth this evening, predicting a 2-1 win for the Cherries.
After a poor start to the season, Forest looked to have turned a corner when they won back-to-back games ahead of the international break but their 2-0 defeat at the hands of Barnsley on Saturday has halted their momentum.
Bournemouth, on the other hand, came back from two goals down to win 4-2 against Reading on the weekend to move into second in the Championship and have lost just once in the league all season.
In his predictions for Sky Sports, Prutton suggested that the Cherries' impressive run was going to continue at the Vitality Stadium and indicated they would come away 2-1 winners.
He explained: "I couldn't believe it when I saw Bournemouth's incredible second-half fightback against Reading! I said last week that they were kicking on and I feel that win will really boost their confidence heading into the next month.
"Forest are still in the early stages of the Chris Hughton era and while they are showing signs of gradual improvement, they are still much closer to the relegation zone than they might have hoped. Home win here, for me."
That result could see Jason Tindall's table go top should Norwich City fail to win, while Forest might slip closer to the bottom three.
Forest look set to be without Lewis Grabban, Samba Sow, Michael Dawson, Tyler Blackett, and Joe Worrall for tonight's game but Harry Arter and 20-year-old striker Will Swan will be in contention.
The hosts are optimistic that Adam Smith and Phillip Billing will both be available for the game at the Vitality Stadium this evening, having missed Saturday's clash as a precaution.
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The Verdict
It's hard to disagree with this prediction.
There were certainly some positives for Forest to take out of Saturday's game but they haven't looked cutthroat enough under Hughton and against a side with the quality of Bournemouth they're likely to get punished.
That said, a win against the Cherries would be a real statement of intent and a massive confidence boost for the Reds.