Two historical giants of English football meet at Elland Road on Saturday with both teams needing the points for very different reasons. After a dip in form, Newcastle United are in danger of dropping out of the top four and losing that vital Champions League place for next season.
For Leeds United, the situation is far more critical. After picking up just one point from their last six games, they have dropped into the relegation zone and face a desperate fight for survival. Will the arrival of new manager Sam Allardyce spark a revival for the home side, or will Newcastle’s stronger squad come away with the points? This LUFC vs NUFC predictions and preview article aims to answer that.
This is the early kick-off from Saturday’s schedule and it all gets underway at 7.30am ET (12.30pm BST). Newcastle’s loftier position in the Premier League table sees them start as clear favorites despite conceding home advantage. Eddie Howe’s men are available at 4/6 in most places. The draw can be found at 16/5 while victory for Leeds United is quoted at 15/4.
Leeds are rooted at the bottom of the form table and are now in the bottom three, but they battled well against EPL leaders Manchester City last weekend. After barely touching the ball in the first half as they conceded twice, the team responded with a goal and would have been hopeful of squaring the game at the end.
Newcastle are looking much better, but some shaky results, including that 0-2 defeat at home to Arsenal last time out, offers hope to the home side.
The first goalscorer betting for Saturday’s game shows joint favorites in many places, with Newcastle’s Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak both available at 4/1. Leeds’ main forward Patrick Bamford slots into third place at 8/1, while it is back to Newcastle for the dangerous Miguel Almiron who is quoted at best industry odds of 9/1.
Anyone looking for value behind the main strikers could consider Newcastle’s Kieran Trippier at 22/1. He is not a regular scorer by any means, but he is a dead-ball specialist, and will provide a threat from any close-range free kicks.
In other popular side bets Both Teams to Score can be claimed this time at 4/7 in many places. If your preference is for the ‘no’ option on BTTS, this is on offer at best industry odds of 11/8.
Next are the Total Combined Goals markets where a stake Above the 2.5 goal line will currently be met at a top price of 4/6. Anyone looking to extend their options could back Over 3.5 goals which is available at a best of 13/8. If you suspect that Leeds and Newcastle will produce a dour 90 minutes, Under 2.5 goals could be the way to go at 13/10.
Our last look at the prop bets takes in some Correct Score suggestions. The market is pointing at a comfortable afternoon for Newcastle and, if you agree, the 3-1 away win is an option at a top price of 12/1. Anyone backing the home side could look at Leeds 2 Newcastle 1 at best odds of 16/1, while the 2-2 draw is quoted at a best of 14/1.
Our Preview’s LUFC vs NUFC Predictions & Betting Picks Verdict
The match odds hint at a comfortable away win and the form guide tends to back that up, but Newcastle are certainly not unbeatable. With that coveted Champions League place in sight, the Magpies lost at home to Arsenal last time out, while recent results have also included a 0-3 loss away to Aston Villa.
Against a much weaker team in Leeds United, Newcastle will be expected to prevail, but this may not be as clear cut as the market suggests. Leeds may also have the new manager ‘bounce’ and, while this is a debatable phenomenon, the team showed well against Manchester City last week, going down by a narrow 1-2 scoreline. Could Sam Allardyce harness home advantage against a vulnerable team to gain a positive result on Saturday?
The draw is a very tempting option here, based on how Leeds responded in that second half against Manchester City. With a noisy home crowd behind them against a team that has dropped points in recent matches, we suspect that this game will finish all square.
The draw is the main tip in what we think will be a quiet game. This goes against the American bookmakers’ thoughts, but neither side has been exactly potent in front of goal in their most recent matches.
Our second tip is for Under 2.5 goals which looks generous this week at 13/10. Leeds’ scoring struggles have been partly to blame for their slide down the table, while Newcastle drew a blank last weekend at Arsenal. We expect new manager Allardyce to keep things tighter at the back, and that could well lead to a share of the points in a low scorer. So this EPL game preview’s betting picks and predictions against the sportsbooks are:
- The draw on the moneyline at +320 with Bovada or BetOnline.
- Under 2.5 goals at +132 with Bovada or +130 with EveryGame.
Matt Harris is a golf and soccer expert for USA Betting. His other area of specialist knowledge is cricket. He is well known in sports journalism and contributes articles to a plethora of big-name websites and media outlets. Titles that he writes or has written for include: Betfair, BetVictor, Unibet & Just Bookies.