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Newcastle United v Leicester City
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Competition: Premier League
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Watch Live: Sky Sports Main Event
Monday Night Football brings a game with consequences at both ends of the table as Newcastle and Leicester face off against one another in a bid to keep their ambitions alive.
Newcastle enter the game knowing that victory will officially secure their place in the Champions League next season, an almighty achievement for the club in their first full season under their new ownership. Leicester City have been there and done that in the last decade but the situation is more severe at present as they bid to preserve their Premier League status.
This is a tussle between both sides will be desperate to win for different reasons and the atmosphere should sway between the feeling of excitement, tension, and hostility leading to a game that could be perfect for a bet builder. To help, we’ve provided a lowdown of the game, what to expect, and our own Newcastle vs Leicester bet builder tips.
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Newcastle rising but Wilson is still the main man
When Newcastle came unstuck against West Ham United and Bournemouth before losing 2-0 against Liverpool and Manchester City, there was rightly concern about whether they could hold their nerve in the battle for a top-three place.
They’ve smashed it since. Eddie Howe has overseen nine wins from his last 12 matches in charge, including thumping victories over West Ham, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, and Brighton and Hove Albion. His team’s aggressive, organised press has worked wonders and they continue to thrive even at this late stage of the season.
While there is a lot of exciting new talent, it’s 31-year-old Callum Wilson leading the Newcastle attack, the England striker scoring 18 goals in 19.9 90’s this season, stepping up to the mark in the wake of fierce competition from Alexander Isak. Wilson has managed a shot on target in eight of his ten starts since the World Cup break, only failing to hit the target in matches against the top two.
In terms of new blood, Bruno Guimaraes has taken to Premier League football like a duck to water. The Brazilian hasn’t been afraid to get in amongst it either, becoming one of the most fouled players in the Premier League – he has been fouled three or more times in six of his last eight starts. He’s also not bothered about committing a foul when necessary, fouling an opponent two or more times in three of his last four starts.
Newcastle United team news
Stability has been key to Newcastle’s success this season and they should continue with the same back six that has served them well across the season.
I’d say he’s performing at the best level I’ve ever seen him at. I complimented him [on Thursday] not in terms of the goal he scored but his intelligence on the press for us. Wilson is the one that has to set the chain off and has to get it right—otherwise the team suffers. I thought his tactical understanding was as good as I’ve seen.
Eddie Howe on the importance of Callum Wilson to Newcastle United
It’s further forward that changes are likely, manager Eddie Howe heading into this without Sean Longstaff, Joe Willock and Jacob Murphy, who have been excellent in recent weeks.
Those absences present opportunity and that should come about in particular for Elliott Anderson, the long-spoken about youth prodigy that played the final half-hour in place of Willock on Thursday and is in line for his second Premier League start.
Leicester looking to Maddison for great escape
Dean Smith must have felt pretty good about his tenure when his team responded to defeat at Champions Manchester City with five points from three games against fellow relegation candidates Wolverhampton Wanderers, Leeds United and Everton. The points dropped against the latter now look to be proving costly.
Leicester rock up to Newcastle on the back of two defeats in which they have conceded eight goals, a run that has to end if they are to avoid the drop. Perhaps most concerning is that they have conceded at least 1.5xG in five of Smith’s six matches in charge.
If they are to get out of trouble, they are going to rely upon England midfielder James Maddison to do the job. The 26-year-old was handed the captain’s armband for a period before Smith’s arrival and losing it hasn’t affected him, having a shot on target in seven of his eight matches since the international break. He will also be on set-pieces and should be a sure thing for your Newcastle vs Leicester bet builder.
Maddison isn’t just about shots, however. The ex-Norwich City man is causing problems for opponents, being fouled 22 times in his five matches under Smith but is also showing some frustration, committing a foul himself in each of his last eight appearances.
It’s not just Maddison getting into trouble with referees – Boubakary Soumare has committed an average of 1.8 fouls per 90 minutes and at least two fouls in four of his last five outings.
Leicester City team news
Dean Smith and his coaching staff have chopped and changed in a bid to find a winning formula but they are likely to go unchanged from the team that lost 3-0 against Liverpool.
We are pretty much in the last chance saloon with a game against Newcastle.
Disappointment and frustration are the two words I’d say I’ve seen. But we are running out of games to put that right and the players know that.
Dean Smith on the desperation in the Leicester City camp
The main reason for that is experience. Smith was able to call upon Jonny Evans for the first time this calendar year to help a defence that has lost Caglar Soyuncu but seen Ricardo Pereira return to the fold.
At the other end of the pitch, Smith is hoping to coax big performances from James Maddison and wantaway Youri Tielemans, the pair tucked in behind the evergreen Jamie Vardy.
Newcastle United v Leicester City Cheat Sheet
With so much on the line for both sides, there’s a case to be made that this could be a feisty affair. Leicester are the side who are most likely to be committing more fouls as they may be overrun in various areas of the field. In this instance, a couple of players who have picked up high numbers of yellow cards are James Maddison and Boubakary Soumare. The pair have amassed a total of 19 cautions between them (10 & 9), so a case can be made in the fouls and cards markets for a bet builder.
The aforementioned duo of Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak have been firing on all cylinders of late. Be sure to check out the goal scorer, shots, and shots on target markets as they’ll be excellent selections in a bet builder. Wilson has hit 18 shots, 10 of which have been on target in the previous 6 games. In addition to this, Isak has racked up 20 shots, 9 of which have been on target in the last 10 games.
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Newcastle United v Leicester City bet builder tips
Newcastle United v Leicester City
Kick Off: 16:00
Competition: Premier League
Watch Live: Sky Sports Main Event
Selection: 1 of 3
Prediction: Newcastle to win
Odds: 1.33
This is the banker selection of the bet builder as a strong home performance is in the offing. With Newcastle in fantastic form at the moment, facing a team leaking goals for fun, this is a no-brainer pick. The Toon Army have been a real force this season and are expected to gain maximum points.
It’s now 10 wins in the last 12 Premier League outings for Newcastle. This solid run goes all the way back to March and they’re set to be all guns blazing to secure their top 4 berth. The raucous St James crowd are sure to play a part, with the 12th man always helping the cause for the home side.
Add a Newcastle win to the bet builder to kick things off and it should well be off to a flying start.
Selection: 2 of 3
Prediction: Boubakary Soumare to commit 2+ fouls
Odds: 1.67
Boubakary Soumare hasn’t had the Leicester City career he envisaged after leaving then-French Champions Lille, starting less than 20 games each season and much of this campaign racking up the cards for a side with minimal structure.
Soumare has committed an average of 1.8 fouls per 90 minutes played this season and those numbers have only increased in recent weeks, committing two or more fouls in four of his last five appearances.
He is going to be up against two players that love drawing a foul from their opponents – Brazilians Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton. The former is one of the most fouled players in the division, being fouled three or more times in six of their last eight starts, and the latter fouled in 19 of his 30 league starts.
Selection: 3 of 3
Prediction: James Maddison to have 1+ shot on target
Odds: 1.73
James Maddison has again been the standout player for Leicester City, following a 20-goal contribution campaign with 19 this year despite his team struggling for form.
The England man is averaging 2.99 shots per 90 minutes played this season and one shot on target. That hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down with Maddison having a shot on target in seven of eight matches since the international break.
What helps this selection is that Maddison isn’t afraid to have a potshot from distance and takes almost all of Leicester’s set-pieces. He draws a lot of fouls so expect to see him take aim from a set-piece situation.
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