Leicester v Newcastle: Premier League betting preview, tips & TV details

TV: Sky Sports Premier League & Main Event, 8pm

Pretty much everything Brendan Rodgers touches has turned to gold in his brief stint in the King Power hotseat and the confident Foxes can continue their seventh-place push by seeing off a deflated Newcastle.

Rodgers has guided Leicester to four straight wins and five successes in their last six games as he has breathed new life into the former champions.

Ensuring Leicester become the best of the rest in the Premier League is now his target and three more points can keep Wolves, Everton and Watford at bay.

Certainly the formguide points to a home win and Leicester are going to be a warm order at 8-11. That looks a perfectly acceptable price though given that the Foxes haven’t won 1-0 at home since December 2017, it looks worth taking a risk on Leicester to win and over 1.5 goals.

For that to happen, of course, they need to break through one of the more obdurate top-flight back lines.

Newcastle’s defence is the least porous in the bottom half of the division – they have shipped 43 goals in total, one fewer than Leicester.

But the injury to the excellent Florian Lejeune in last week’s 1-0 home defeat by Crystal Palace means a reshuffle with Benitez discussing the possibility of going four at the back rather than three.

The upshot, however he juggles it, will be 4-5-1 or 5-4-1, a load of bodies behind the ball, the hope that his pacy wide men get chances to launch on the counter and the usual prayer that isolated frontman Salomon Rondon receives some degree of service.

Benitez doesn’t do ambition as a general rule and is unlikely to do at the King Power with his side just five points clear of Cardiff and determined to give away nothing in the pursuit of precious points.

On the road Newcastle have been generally underwhelming all term. They have mustered just a couple of wins – at Burnley and Huddersfield – and their record at the current top ten this season reads played nine, won none, lost six and not a single clean sheet.

Leicester just need to box clever, try not to leave holes when they go forward and continue to get Youri Tielemans and James Maddison on the ball. Jamie Vardy, who has bagged eight goals in his last seven outings, won’t get much room to manoeuvre but Leicester under Rodgers are a bright, attacking unit who will carve out openings.

Another bet to consider is the last goal being scored in the final 15 minutes, which seems to be when Leicester are at their most punishing and Newcastle their most vulnerable.

City have scored 37 per cent of their goals – that’s 15 – from the 75th minute of games onwards, while the Magpies have leaked 15 in that period. Only Burnley and Fulham boast a worst record late in games.

Recommendations
Leicester & over 1.5 goals
1pt 11-10 Betfred, Coral, Ladbrokes
Last goal from 76 minutes to full-time
1pt 23-20 Betway

Bet on this match at Soccerbase.com

Premier League standings

Team news
Leicester
Marc Albrighton has returned to training while centre-backs Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans are also available. Daniel Amartey is out.

Newcastle
Florian Lejeune injured his knee against Palace and is out for the season. Mo Diame and Joselu are available after layoffs. Sean Longstaff is still crocked.

Key stat
Newcastle boast the joint-best defensive record in the bottom half.

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