The Championship season is hotting up and the busy Christmas schedule is now right around the corner for Nottingham Forest.
Sabri Lamouchi's incredible start to life at the City Ground has, against all predictions, continued and with a game in hand the Reds remain just five points adrift of the automatic promotion places.
Next up is Cardiff City who, at the start of the campaign, were tipped to challenge for a return to the Premier League.
Instead they sit down in 11th place, seven points behind Lamouchi's men, but will still prove a tough test at the City Ground this weekend.
And Sky Sports' Football League pundit David Prutton has predicted a closely fought contest with the Reds just edging it with a 2-1 home win.
But his prediction will not see Forest creep any closer to those all important automatic promotion places with the former Trentside man tipping both Leeds United and West Bromwich Albion to do the business this weekend.
Leeds take on Middlesbrough at Elland Road in a game that Prutton believes will go comfortable the way of the home side with a 2-0 win.
While the Baggies, who will go into the weekend looking to extend their advantage at the top, face a tough trip to face Preston North End that Prutton has predicted them to win 2-1.
"Middlesbrough got a massive win in midweek to ease the pressure on Jonathan Woodgate and lift themselves out of the relegation zone, but Leeds will be too good for them at Elland Road," he told Sky Sports.
He continued: "West Brom have been excellent lately and possess so much quality.
"Winning at Deepdale would be a huge statement from Slaven Bilic's side and I think they have enough to claim all three points."
Prutton's full list of Championship predictions:
Derby 2-1 QPR
Leeds 2-0 Middlesbrough
Wigan 1-1 Reading
Preston 1-2 West Brom
Barnsley 0-2 Hull
Birmingham 2-2 Millwall
Brentford 2-1 Luton
Bristol City 1-1 Huddersfield
Nottingham Forest 2-1 Cardiff
Stoke 1-1 Blackburn.
