Newcastle United are the favourites for three points against Nottingham Forest this afternoon, according to the pundits. Chris Sutton, Paul Merson and Jones Knows have all backed Eddie Howe's side to get their campaign off to a bright start.
Eddie Howe's side are one of the in-form sides since the turn of the year and will be hoping to pick up where they left off last season. There's plenty of outside noise predicting the Magpies to finish in the European places this season, but inside St. James' Park, they're keen to improve on last year's bottom-half finish.
The Toon have recruited well so far this summer, but are still eying up further additions. They're hoping to add a winger and striker to their squad before the transfer window slams shut.
READ MORE: Newcastle United vs Nottingham Forest LIVE
They haven't been able to do so before the Premier League curtain raiser against Forest this afternoon, but that hasn't stopped pundits backing Newcastle to come away with the win.
Chris Sutton
"It's great to see Forest back in the Premier League after 23 years and I hope they do well," Blackburn and Celtic striker Sutton told BBC Sport."I was born in Nottingham and I was a massive fan of Brian Clough's European Cup-winning sides when I was growing up. Then I was lucky enough to play under two players from that time, Martin O'Neill and John Robertson, at Celtic.
"Forest could do with a player like Robertson now, but they have made a couple of interesting moves in the transfer market already - Jesse Lingard is a good signing and I like the look of their new Belgian midfielder, Orel Mangala, too. I think they will stay up.
"Newcastle, meanwhile, don't have to worry about beating the drop this year . Eddie Howe did such a good job there in the second half of last season and, after it looked like they were in a big relegation fight, they stayed up very comfortably in the end.
"Howe played a really good brand of football as well as getting results and I am expecting more of the same this time, although they do need some reinforcements up front. They are trying to get James Maddison from Leicester but I don't quite understand why they have left it so late before the start of the season to go for him, and we will have to wait and see how that one pans out.
"As far as this game goes, it is another tricky one to call - but I am going for Newcastle to edge it because they have got home advantage. 1-0 ."
Paul Merson
Speaking to Sportskeeda, Merson said: "Nottingham Forest needed an X-factor after they got promoted, and I think Jesse Lingard fits the bill. I can see why they've given him the money, they need something different. When you're a Championship team coming up to the Premier League, you need to sign a player like this and hope he meets expectations.
"Lingard has spent his entire career playing for big clubs that dominate football matches. He'll now be working on scraps. He hasn't experienced anything like this in his career. He has to stay patient and wait for his chances.
"The pressure's on Newcastle because everybody is expecting big things from them. They haven't made many big signings, and I had a feeling they'd take this approach. They were never going to sign superstars after superstars like it's a FIFA game. They've got to build steadily, and it doesn't help to sign only two big names for a lot of money.
"I like what they're doing at Newcastle, and I think they should aim for a top-half finish and a great cup run. If they want to have an excellent Premier League season, they have to win this match. 2-0. "
Jones Knows - Sky Bet
Speaking to SkySports, Jones Knows said: "Those that have cast their eye over my ante-post season previews, will know I am fully invested in Callum Wilson scoring goals for the Toon this campaign. I'm on him to win the Golden Boot at 33/1 and make the England World Cup squad at 6/1, so it won't come as a surprise to read I'm playing him to score this weekend.
"Wilson has a history of scoring goals early on in a campaign. In the last nine seasons when he has been fit enough to start a season (eight out of nine), Wilson has scored on average five goals in the first eight matchdays of that season.
"Overall it works out at an average goals scored per 90 minutes of 0.6 in the first eight matchdays of a season. That compares to a 0.3 average in games over the course of the rest of the season. His body seems to peak after the pre-season period.
"Wilson is certainly talking a good game, too. He said: "This season, I feel strong, I feel fit, I feel robust. It's down to me now to prove those doubters wrong. I thrive off that."
"Everything points to him and Newcastle starting with a bang. He'll be carrying my money this weekend in the first goalscorer market at 5/1 - the first of many, we hope. 3-1 "
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