Leeds vs. Newcastle Betting Tips: Two picks for the early kick-off at Elland Road

Leeds United host Newcastle United in Saturday’s early kick-off. Leeds earned a point when they travelled to St. James’s Park this season. Another point heard could prove to be extremely valuable and Scott Thornton is on hand with his best bets.

It is a game that could have huge ramifications on the remainder of the season with Leeds embroiled in a heated battle against the drop. Sam Allardyce has been appointed in a desperate effort to get Leeds out of trouble. The former England manager hasn’t managed anyone since he left West Brom in 2021. ‘Big Sam’ is set to earn a bumper payout if he succeeds in keeping his team up this season. However, the long-term future of the manager’s position at Elland Road remains uncertain.

Newcastle also need the points with Liverpool making a late surge on the top four. The Geordies couldn’t; have imagined this season in their wildest dreams. They made it to the League Cup final and are currently 3rd in the Premier League. They will no doubt be active in the summer transfer window but they will want to finish as high as possible in the league in the meantime.

Leeds are the most proficient tackling outfit in the Premier League. They are averaging 22.09 tackles per game; the most of any team. They are going to be willed on by a vocal home support and they should get stuck in from the off as they face Newcastle. 

Sam Allardyce has only led the team for one game. The fact that it was against Manchester City means we didn’t get to see just how the team will play under the new boss. However, it is likely he will want to entice some fighting spirit so expect Leeds to remain active in terms of tackles.

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Newcastle are also forcing a good amount of tackles. Their opponents are averaging 19 tackles per away game in all competitions this season; well above the league average of 17.09 tackles for a team per match. The last time Newcastle visited Elland Road, Leeds made 21 tackles in the match. When these teams met earlier this season, Leeds had a whopping 32 tackles.

The line for this bet did open much lower but I’m still happy to back tackles for the home side in this one.

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We are also going to back both teams to score in the match. Incredibly, both teams have scored in Leeds’ last 10 matches. Over this period they are averaging 1.5 goals per game while their opponents are averaging 2.9. Allardyce will be hoping he can sure things up defensively but it’s unreasonable to think they will become solid at the back at the flick of a switch.

This bet has also landed in four of Newcastle’s last five away matches. The exception was their 3-0 defeat at Aston Villa. During that run, Newcastle are averaging 2.6 goals per game. Their opponents averaged 1.4.

For the longer odds bet we are going to take the same angles as the first but increase the tackles line. Over 20.5 tackles for Leeds still looks extremely doable. Given the recent meetings between the sides it's safe to say we can expect tackles here.

We are also going to add cards to the mix. There were eight cards when these sides faced off at St James’s Park earlier this season. Newcastle had three cards and Leeds had five. This bet also landed in this fixture last season with Leeds having four of the six yellow cards.