Aston Villa vs Nottm Forest predictions and betting tips – Watkins & Rogers continue form

Jan 3, 2026 - 08:00

Aston Villa see in the New Year with their first clash of 2026 at home to struggling Nottingham Forest.

Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest best bets

Bet on Aston Villa to win, Rogers & Watkins 1+ SOT at 2/1 on BetVictor
Back Rogers & Watkins to score and Villa to win at 23/4 on BetVictor

Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest latest odds

Find the latest Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest betting odds here. Odds are provided by BetVictor and are subject to change.

Aston Villa – 4/5
Draw – 13/5
Nottingham Forest – 31/10

Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest predictions

Villa went on an 11-game winning streak in all competitions before having to face Arsenal, suffering a 4-1 loss at the Emirates.

Their reverse fixture earlier on in December saw them come out surprise 2-1 winners but their long winning streak has seen them climb the table and keep a comfortable distance between themselves and fourth place.

They will be looking to get straight back into it with a win against Forest, who have the potential to drop into the relegation battle if West Ham or Burnley are able to start winning games.

Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest betting tips

Watkins and Rogers push for England squad

With the threat of a relegation battle for Forest their 2026 is going to be pivotal as they sit just four points ahead of the Hammers.

It couldn’t be any different to Villa, who were at risk themselves of a shock season due to their poor start, but have shown they are amongst the best teams in the division now provided they can keep the consistency going.

With 12 wins in just 19 games and their only recent loss against the top spot it’s no surprise to see them huge favourites at home to Forest and should be added to bet builders to ensure a better payout.

The focus of those will be players looking to add to their goal contributions: Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers.

Both of which are helping their cases massively for a spot in the 2026 World Cup England squad.

Watkins started off the season incredibly slow, when Villa themselves couldn’t score in the opening few games of the season.

But now, he’s got six goals this season and looking to remain as consistent a goalscorer as ever with previous season’s tallies being: 16, 19, 15, 11 and 14.

Rogers has three assists and seven goals and is just as much of a goal threat as his teammate.

Donyell Malen has also been a great goalscorer for them this season but given recent form the other two are potentially better bets at this stage with the two strikers being swapped in the starting XI.

Bet on Aston Villa to win, Rogers & Watkins 1+ SOT at 2/1 on BetVictor
Back Rogers & Watkins to score and Villa to win at 23/4 on BetVictor

Where to watch Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest

Location: Villa Park, Aston, Birmingham, England.
Date & Time: Saturday, 3rd January 2026, 12.30pm.
TV Channel: Sky Sports Premier League & Sky Sports Ultra HDR.

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