QPR v Nottingham Forest: Rangers to enjoy home comforts

Andy Tongue
10 September 2015

Rangers hitman Charlie Austin has four Championship goals already this season

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QPR have enjoyed a great few weeks and Andy Tongue is backing them to make it four league wins on the spin in Saturday's live Championship game at Loftus Road...

"Forest's start to the season is looking rather ominous, they have lost their last four away from home and it will surely take a few games for their new-look side to gel together."

Back QPR to win at 1.9520/21

QPR v Nottingham Forest
Saturday September 12, 12:30
Live on Sky Sports 1

QPR

A couple of weeks can be a very long time in football and that's certainly been the case with Rangers. Suddenly three successive Championship wins have propelled them up to fourth in the table and star attacking duo Charlie Austin and Matt Phillips (along with former England keeper Rob Green) are still at the club after no Premier League clubs were able to tempt them away during the transfer window.

Austin has scored four times already this season to lead the top goalscorer charts and looks set to plunder plenty more over the coming weeks and months. Italian defender Gabriele Angella has signed on a season-long loan from Watford, where he made 36 appearances during their promotion-winning campaign last term and looks a useful addition.

Forest

We see Forest live for the first time since that deeply disappointing performance at Brighton on the very first night of the new Championship season and things haven't really improved since. Their sole win was a scrappy 2-1 at home to Rotherham, who look as if they will be down by Christmas, while they have now taken just seven points from a possible 39, dating back to last season.

The departure of Michail Antonio to West Ham on deadline day was big blow and is unlikely to be assuaged by the arrival of Chris O'Grady on a season's loan from Brighton. However, they did land a trio of potentially useful loan signings in Crystal Palace midfielder Jonny Williams, Lille winger Ryan Mendes and Benfica forward Nelson Oliveira, who was on loan at Swansea last year.

Match Odds

With those three consecutive victories under their belt, Rangers are odds-on at 1.9520/21 to win this one with the visitors 4.47/2 and the draw available to back at 3.7511/4. And while backing sides at odds on prices to win in this division is normally the express route to the poor house, on this occasion I'm very tempted.

Ramsey's side seem to have a spring in their step, while Forest's start to the season is looking rather ominous, they have lost their last four away from home and it will surely take a few games for their new-look side to gel together. Without the injured Britt Assombalonga they still look lightweight in attack and I'm not sure either Oliveira or O'Grady can fill his shoes at this stage.

The home crowd will be right behind the Hoops and with midfielder Tjaronn Chery also chipping with three goals already they have attacking threats across the pitch. So I'm going to break one of my Championship punting rules (it's no more than a shade under evens after all!) and back them to win at 1.9520/21.

To Score

It's impossible to overstate what a huge boost Austin's continued presence at Loftus Road is to Rangers. He was linked with the likes of Manchester United, Spurs and West Ham during the transfer window and could probably have done a job for each of them. That makes him a huge asset in the second tier.

It's no surprise he's now favourite at 7.06/1 to be the top Championship goal-scorer, although I'd be a bit cautious about taking that price as backers will doubtless spend the whole of the January window praying that he's not tempted away from West London.

Instead I'll back him to score anytime here at 2.47/5 with the Sportsbook. The 26-year-old has netted in each of their home league games this season and is also first-choice penalty-taker so I'm backing him to make it three-in-a-row on the scoresheet at Loftus Road.

Recommended Bets

Back QPR to win at 1.9520/21
Back Charlie Austin to score anytime at 2.47/5 with Sportsbook

You can read my previews of all the live Championship games here along with Mike Norman's Saturday 3pm tipsheets