Sunday sees Marcelo Bielsa take his Leeds side to Leicester but Tom Carnduff is expecting the Foxes to secure all three points.
Football betting tips: Premier League
1pt Leicester (-1 handicap) to beat Leeds at 9/4
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Leicester v Leeds
- 14:00 GMT on Sky Sports Main Event
- Match odds: Home 5/6 | Draw 14/5 | Away 3/1
Leicester may have been held by Everton in midweek but they benefitted from Manchester United's shock home defeat to Sheffield United. Brendan Rodgers' men remain in the title race and their season so far has been a huge positive.
In Leeds, they face a side sat comfortably in mid-table and they will be more than happy with that. 26 points at the halfway stage and, perhaps more importantly, 13 points clear of the relegation zone is a great position on their return to the Premier League. Victory over Newcastle last time out puts less pressure on this game.
Leeds have largely been winning the games they are meant to and treating the other games as a free hit. It's led to some big defeats, Leicester being one of them with a 4-1 win at Elland Road, but it's also given us some highly entertaining games against Liverpool and Manchester City.
Contests against Chelsea, Leicester, Manchester United and Tottenham have all seen losses by at least three-goal margins and the 9/4 available on the Foxes with a -1 handicap looks good value here. Leeds' style is so good to watch, but the man-to-man approach can be a problem against a team with better quality.
There is also the potential that they will be without Diego Llorente again here after he was forced off with injury at Newcastle. He's been incredibly unlucky given how disrupted his campaign has been but it could mean Liam Cooper partners young Pascal Struijk at the back.
Even without Jamie Vardy, the attacking midfielders should see opportunities to strike here. James Maddison has been in great form while Harvey Barnes possesses a real threat from out wide, they should both be involved heavily in the Foxes' attacks.
Leeds' midfield has struggled in recent weeks too and Mateusz Klich, a regular throughout the Marcelo Bielsa era, dropping to the bench in midweek perhaps shows that they are looking to change things up. There are often big gaps for the opposition to drive into and Leicester should make the most of that.
Goals should be on the cards given Leeds' involvement. A side that struggles defensively but constructs eye-catching attacks that have beaten the very best. A Leicester win with over 2.5 goals is 6/4, while a similar outcome with over 3.5 is available at an attractive 10/3.
The Whites did fail to score against Brighton and Spurs though and couldn't find a way past Arsenal and Wolves earlier in the season. While a high-scoring Leicester win provides appeal at that 10/3, the 9/4 is still decent enough in case the game ends up being a fairly routine 2-0 victory.
Defeat won't be too much of a problem for Leeds. They are getting points and remain a huge 40/1 for relegation. Leicester may be 25/1 outsiders for the title but three points here will keep them in the mix for a week longer.
Score prediction: Leicester 3-1 Leeds (Sky Bet odds: 11/1)
Leicester v Leeds best bets
Odds correct at 1800 GMT (28/01/21)
Opta facts
- Leicester City are looking to record a league double over Leeds for the first time since the 2004/05 campaign when the sides were in the Championship.
- Leeds United’s only previous Premier League match at the King Power Stadium was back in September 2003, losing 4-0 under Peter Reid. Their only away league win against Leicester at the King Power was in November 2011 in the Championship, a 1-0 win.
- Leicester are looking to win four consecutive games against Leeds in all competitions for only the second time, also doing so between September 1997 and November 1998, although their last three wins have all been in different seasons: 2013/14, 2017/18 and 2020/21.
- Leicester are unbeaten in seven Premier League games (W4 D3), with only Manchester City on a longer current run without defeat in the competition (11).
- Leeds are the only side yet to have had an away draw in the Premier League this season, with the Whites winning five and losing five of their 10 games on the road. Indeed, none of their last 16 Premier League away games has ended level (W6 L10) since a 1-1 draw with Manchester United in February 2004.
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