Sunderland v Newcastle Betting Preview

The 144^th Tyne-wear derby promises to be a feisty encounter with both teams needing a win after suffering 3-0 defeats in their last outing.

This Tyne-wear contest provides us with a typical local derby match; two passionate teams contesting a usually unpredictable fixture. Get a free bet for this match here.

After an impressive start to the season, Sunderland suffered their first defeat in their last outing away to the league champions, Manchester City. A weakened City team took control from the first few minutes and strolled to an easy 3-0 victory. This performance would have worried black cats’ manager Martian O’Neil as it highlighted the recurring frailties in his Sunderland team. Before this match it looked as if Sunderland had amended their lacklustre defending and surprisingly poor offensive prowess with the signing of striker Steven Fletcher and ability to keep clean sheets. However, Manchester City are the Premier League champions and have one of the most formidable teams in the league, boasting both exceptional defenders and prolific attackers. Therefore it may have been the case that Sunderland were just not good enough on the day, and O’Neil will be eager to make sure that a repeat performance will not happen this weekend.

O’Neil will hope that his strong attacking force of Fletcher, Johnson and McClean will be able to move past their last performance on Sunday against local rivals Newcastle. These three attackers are bound to cause Newcastle problems and proven Scotland International Steven Fletcher has shown that he is more than capable of scoring goals at this level, even when his employers have not been so successful.

Similarly to Sunderland, Newcastle played poorly in their last Premier League outing – losing 3-0 at home to Manchester United. United took advantage of poor defending from set pieces to score two quick fire goals and kill the game off. From then on, Newcastle didn’t show any promise and were the second best team throughout, which after a run of decent performances was a shock for the Newcastle faithful who would have expected a better performance in their own back yard.

Demba Ba has been the only Newcastle player to score a Premier League goal in their last four fixtures; scoring five goals including two braces. The Senegalese striker has once again hit form after seemingly losing his scoring capabilities when fellow countryman Papis Cisse joined the club last season. Ba was forced into a more right-sided role, allowing Cisse to play as the lone front man. After his move back to a central position it seems that Ba has not lost his touch and is proving that he is still one of the most clinical finishers in the Premier League.

Last two league matches:

Manchester City 3-0 Sunderland                                Newcastle 0-3 Manchester United

Sunderland 1-0 Wigan                                                  Reading 2-2 Newcastle

H2H:

Newcastle 1-1 Sunderland    Sunderland 0-1 Newcastle    Sunderland 1-1 Newcastle

Prediction:

As mentioned early, in recent seasons Newcastle have dominated this fixture; not losing in the last five meetings. Newcastle are playing good football at the moment with Demba Ba’s strikes helping them secure some great results. However, Sunderland have significantly strengthened their attack this season and with Adam Johnson now fully fit, they have an impressive attacking line up. As well as this, Sunderland have improved defensively and are more assured at the back enabling them to keep vital clean sheets.  This is bound to be a tight game, but it looks like Sunderland may have the edge and are good value for money to win the match at 29/20 or to win either half at 4/6.

Highlighted Bets:

1)      The Tyne-wear derby is well known for being an eventful affair. In the past 10 games there have been 6 red cards and 28 yellow cards. It is likely that this statistic will continue and the match on Sunday is bound to see referee Phil Dowd reaching for his cards on numerous occasions. This is why a bet on yellow and red cards being shown is advisable. There has been a red card in the last two fixtures between these two teams and as both teams have players that are venerable to being sent off, as they have fiery tempers and are strong tacklers a red card at 7/2 is tempting.

2)      Steven Fletcher has made a fantastic start to his Sunderland career following his £12m transfer from Wolves in the summer. Sunderland were heavily scrutinised for paying ‘over the odds’ for the Scottish International, but after scoring five goals in his first five league games it seems Fletcher is showing his worth. After two impressive performances for national side Scotland in the last week (some great build up play against Wales), Fletcher will be coming into this game bursting with confidence. A great bet for this game is Steven Fletcher to score two or more @ 9/1. Fletcher is a great attacker in the air, having been the Premier League’s top headed goal scorer last season, and with Newcastle’s apparent weaknesses at defending set pieces Fletcher is bound to cause problems. He has already netted a brace this season – on his debut against Swansea, and he offers great value to do the same again in his first Tyne-wear derby.

Recap:

• Sunderland to win either half @ 4/6 with William Hill
• A red card shown @ 7/2 with Betfair
• Steven Fletcher to score two or more @ 9/1 with BET 365

Read more betting previews for upcoming matches in our betting tips section. If you fancy a free bet for this match, or any upcoming event, check out the £25 free bet offer from Blue Square.

Article by Mark Stefanyszyn

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