Liam Delap goes back to Portman Road on Friday night. This time, he’s wearing Forest red.
Ipswich Town host Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, with the promoted Tractor Boys sitting 10th, four points ahead of a Forest side looking to turn narrow defeats into points.
Ipswich Town come into the game on the back of a narrow 3-2 defeat at Manchester City on Saturday 17 October, with Zian Flemming netting off the bench in an encouraging display.
Forest pushed champions Arsenal all the way at the City Ground on Sunday 18 October before an 80th-minute goal settled it, making it three defeats in a row. Their only league win this season came on the road at Aston Villa in September.
Ipswich Town vs Nottingham Forest – Match Facts
- Competition: Premier League, Matchday 8
- Date: Friday 23 October 2026
- Kick-off: 8:00 pm
- Venue: Portman Road
Betting Odds
Ipswich Town vs Nottingham Forest Betting Odds – Premier League 2026/27
Result | Odds | Chance |
|---|---|---|
Ipswich Win | 2/1 | 33.3% |
Nottingham Forest Win | 6/5 | 45.5% |
Draw | 12/5 | 29.4% |
*Odds are correct at the time of writing, but subject to change.
Ipswich Town are 2/1 underdogs to pick up the three points, Nottingham Forest are 6/5 favourites, and the draw is priced at 12/5.
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How to Watch
How to Watch Ipswich Town vs Nottingham Forest
Kick-off is 8:00 pm on Friday 23 October at Portman Road, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.
Head-to-Head
Ipswich Town vs Nottingham Forest Head-to-Head
Ipswich Town and Nottingham Forest met for the first time in October 1949 in Division Three (South), when Nottingham Forest won 2-1 at Portman Road.
The teams have met 83 times in total, including that first meeting, with Ipswich Town having 22 victories, Nottingham Forest winning on 42 occasions, and 19 draws having taken place.
Nottingham Forest are unbeaten against Ipswich in their last six matches in all competitions, having won four times in 90 minutes and drawn twice. Forest have outscored the Tractor Boys 11-5 in that time.
Ipswich’s last win over Forest came in December 2017, 4-2 at Portman Road in the Championship.
Team News
Ipswich Town vs Nottingham Forest Team News
Ipswich Town Team News
Sasa Lukic (groin) is a doubt but is expected to be fit. Gary O’Neil could name the same side that faced Manchester City.
Nottingham Forest Team News
Morgan Gibbs-White has shaken off a muscle problem and is available, while Nikola Milenković is fit to start after making the bench against Arsenal. Oliver Glasner is still without Igor Jesus (calf) and Nicolò Savona (knee), though Jesus is pushing to return for the trip to Manchester City on 7 November.
Predicted Line-Ups
Ipswich Town vs Nottingham Forest Predicted Line-Ups
Ipswich Town (3-4-2-1): Walton; O’Shea, Diop, Greaves; Ouattara, Florentino, Palacios, Davis; Maeda, Enciso; Emersonn.
Nottingham Forest (3-4-2-1): Sels; Cunha, Diomande, Murillo; Muñoz, McAtee, Schlager, Williams; Ndoye, Dominguez; Delap.
Form Guides
Ipswich Town vs Nottingham Forest Form Guides
Ipswich Town Form Guide
Gary O’Neil’s side have nine points from their opening seven games in the Premier League following their promotion from the Championship, and have picked up six of those points at Portman Road.
On Saturday 17 October they came out the wrong end of a 3-2 thriller against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. Phil Foden opened the scoring in the 19th minute before Daizen Maeda equalised two minutes later. Erling Haaland struck in the 34th and 69th minutes to put City in control, before Zian Flemming’s 90th-minute penalty.
Ipswich Town have been one of the most entertaining sides to watch in the league, with an average of 3.71 goals in games involving them, behind only Chelsea (4.29) and Brighton (4.00), and level with Manchester City and Crystal Palace.
Nottingham Forest Form Guide
Forest have performed well on the road this season, earning four of their five points from a 2-2 draw against Liverpool at Anfield and a 1-2 win over Aston Villa at Villa Park.
On Sunday 18 October, Nottingham Forest hosted champions Arsenal at the City Ground and were unfortunate not to come away with at least a point. Having had 14 shots to their opponents’ 9, it took an 80th-minute goal from Noni Madueke to separate the two sides.
From their opening seven league games, the goals have been shared around four different scorers: Dan Ndoye (2), Igor Jesus (1), Liam Delap (1) and Morgan Gibbs-White (1).
The club’s star performers have come in defence, though, with Murillo and Neco Williams impressing at the back.
Betting Tips
Ipswich Town vs Nottingham Forest Betting Tips
Nottingham Forest – 6/5
Forest have won four of their last six meetings with Ipswich Town in 90 minutes, and they arrive at Portman Road with Morgan Gibbs-White and Nikola Milenković available to strengthen both ends of the pitch.
They also face an Ipswich Town defence that has conceded 15 goals in seven league games. After pushing Arsenal so close, Oliver Glasner’s side at Nottingham Forest – 6/5 is a price worth a look.
Liam Delap Anytime Goal – 7/4
Liam Delap returns to Portman Road, where he made his name with 12 Premier League goals in a single season.
He will be desperate to prove a point against his old club. He has only one league goal so far this term, but he leads the line alongside Forest’s top scorer Dan Ndoye. Few in the away end will know this pitch better.
Up against an Ipswich Town defence that has conceded 15 in seven, this looks the ideal fixture for him to rediscover his scoring touch with Liam Delap Anytime Goal – 7/4.
Prediction
Ipswich Town vs Nottingham Forest Prediction
Ipswich Town 0-2 Nottingham Forest
Forest have taken four of their five points on the road, and they’ve won four of their last six meetings with Ipswich Town in 90 minutes. Facing a defence that has conceded 15 in seven, Liam Delap and co. can take all three points back to the City Ground.
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Dylan has forgotten more about the world of sports betting than many will ever know. Seven years in the game will give you that kind of perspective, and he brings that knowledge to the BOYLE Sports Blog. This long-suffering Mayo man has a particular passion for Gaelic football, American football and golf.
