Nottingham Forest vs. Aston Villa prediction, odds, expert best bets for Europa League semifinal second leg

Proven SportsLine soccer expert Jon Eimer has his top plays for Thursday's Europa League semifinal second leg between Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa

Nottingham Forest will try to keep up their excellent form and book a trip to the UEFA Europa League final when they visit Aston Villa for the second leg of their semifinal tie on Thursday, May 7. You can catch Nottingham Forest vs. Aston Villa on Paramount+. 

Forest are unbeaten in their past 10 games in all competitions, including a 1-0 home victory in the first leg against the Villans last week. That setback was part of a three-match losing streak for Aston Villa, but the hosts are fifth in the English Premier League table and looking at European competition again next season, while Forest are 16th in the EPL table.  

Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET at Villa Park in Birmingham, England. Villa are -135 home favorites on the 90-minute money line (wager $135 to win $100) in the latest Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest odds at DraftKings Sportsbook. Forest are +350 underdogs (wager $100 to win $350) and a draw is priced at +290. The match total is set at 2.5 goals (Over -115, Under -110). The winner advances to the May 20 final in Istanbul, Turkey, to face the winner of SC Freiburg vs. Braga. That match is set for Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET, with Braga up 2-1 on aggregate but playing on the road in the second leg.   

Before you place any wagers on the UEFA Europa League or Nottingham Forest vs. Aston Villa, make sure you see what SportsLine soccer expert Jon Eimer is wagering for the contest.

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Eimer finished 2023 as SportsLine's No. 1 soccer expert, posting a 248-234-12 record (+25.93 units) on SportsLine article picks. Eimer has been red-hot in 2025, posting a profit in multiple leagues, including the Premier League, Champions League, La Liga and more. Anyone following his soccer betting picks could have seen huge returns at sportsbooks and on betting apps. 

Here are Eimer's best bets and analysis for Nottingham Forest vs. Aston Villa on Thursday, May 7.

Nottingham Forest vs. Aston Villa best bets

• Both teams to score (-120 BetMGM, 1 unit)
• Nottingham Forest to advance (-130 BetMGM, 1 unit)
• Nottingham Forest double chance (+110 BetMGM, 1 unit) 

Nottingham Forest's unbelievable form

Nottingham Forest rested players over the weekend against Chelsea and still managed to pump in three goals and take them down 3-1. Forest have been one of the most in-form sides in the Premier League, as they are now unbeaten in their last 10 matches across all competitions. 

We saw them beat Aston VIlla 1-0 in the first leg of this tie but to be honest, Villa are lucky Forest only scored one. They looked not only like the better side overall, but better coached and more fit. Nottingham Forest continue to break expectations and while playing at Villa Park is tough for any team, I see no reason to fade the club that is consistently producing results at the end of their season.

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Aston Villa's recent struggles

While Nottingham Forest have really turned things around to end their season, it's been a bit of the opposite for Aston Villa. Villa have lost their last three matches, which included dropping points to an abysmal Spurs side, losing to Forest in the first leg and failing to score against Fulham. 

While they have all but secured a top-five spot in the Premier League, it seems that playing in multiple competitions has really started to take its toll on the hosts. While I think Forest are the better side, I do have a tough time fully fading Aston Villa at home. 

We can expect Villa to come out guns blazing being down a goal on aggregate but ultimately, I see a draw in this one.