After City dropped points and Arsenal were knocked out of the FA Cup, Spurs managed to close the gap on Premier League leaders Leicester before Claudio Ranieri’s men host struggling Newcastle tonight.
Newcastle’s new boss Rafa Benitez has not lost the first game in charge of a new club in his 15 years of management to date, with Newcastle looking to put on a show following their woeful 3-1 home showing against Bournemouth, they’re 11/2 to spoil the party at the King Power tonight and 10/3 to earn a much-needed point.
On the other hand, Leicester are 8/13 to maintain their five-point lead at the top.
Leicester striker Jamie Vardy has not scored since February the second, so the Foxes may have to look elsewhere for goals.
Riyad Mahrez is 6/1 at PaddyPower to open the scoring for Leicester tonight, whereas Robert Huth, who scored two in the crucial victory at Manchester City, is 25/1 to net first. Leonardo Ulloa scored an 89th-minute winner in Leicester’s win over Norwich, sparking a mini-earthquake at the King Power, he’s 6/1 to open the scoring.
If Newcastle are to open the scoring this evening, they may have to look to their goal-starved strikers Aleksandar Mitrovic and Ayoze Perez, who are 9/1 and 10/1 to open the scoring respectively.
Top scorer Georginio Wijnaldum is at 12/1, whereas January signings Andros Townsend and Jonjo Shelvey are 16/1 and 20/1 to break the deadlock.
Newcastle’s last away win came through two goals from Mitrovic and Perez, the pair of them to score tonight is 18/1 at Sky Bet. That came in a 2-1 victory at Leicester’s closest rivals Spurs back in mid-December and Newcastle are 20/1 to win 2-1 tonight. The Toonarmy’s other away win was a 1-0 victory, that’s 19/1 at BetVictor.
Leicester have had a mixed-bag of results at home, with no scoreline coming up more than twice, however, Newcastle have lost 1-0 away from home three times with Leicester scraping a 1-0 win twice this season, that’s 7/1.
Leicester have won nine home games this season, with seven of their home games 0-0 at the half-way point, draw/Leicester is 7/2, with Leicester/Leicester 29/20 and draw/Newcastle 14/1.
Newcastle have scored just seven goals on their travels this season, the least in all four divisions of English football, Leicester to win to nil is 6/4 at StanJames, with Leicester to win by one goal 14/5, something they’ve done five times so far this season at home.
However if anyone fancies a goal frenzy live on Sky tonight, BTTS is at 17/20 at BetVictor, with a Leicester win and BTTS at 9/4 and a Newcastle win BTTS at tens.
It’s Leicester’s three points for the taking, but don’t discount Newcastle to spring a surprise with Rafa now at the helm.
