Football expert Ryan Elliott has two tips for Watford's crunch match against Champions League-chasing Leicester City.
Kicking-off Saturday’s action, we have Watford, deep in relegation bother, facing a Leicester side on the brink of solidifying their Champions League qualification place.
After Nigel Pearson’s new-manager-bounce which saw his side take 14 points from a possible 18 in a stretch between December and January, The Hornets then went on a run where they lost five of seven games – although they did beat Liverpool in their penultimate game before postponement, so it’s hard to say whether or not the break came at a good time or not for them.
I think it can definitely be argued that the break did come at a good time for the Foxes, who were on a run of just two wins from their last eight in the league; I expect them to be much better in in the run-in.
As has been a theme across many of my previews this weekend, I’m leaning heavily towards the visitors.
We know all about the diminished home advantage behind closed doors from the Bundesliga—where away wins have been the most common result since the league resumed—and I expect a similar story this time around.
The key to Pearson’s success was re-establishing Vicarage Road as fortress, and four wins from their last six at home certainly showed he found success in this respect, but without fans in the ground, much of their momentum will be stripped away from them.
Leicester beat Watford 2-0 in the reverse fixture, and I’m finding it hard to turn odds-against away for a Leicester win at an empty Vicarage Road.
Next up, I see James Maddison to score first (each-way to net profit if he scores at any time) at 10/1 as absolutely huge value.
Maddison has six goals this season, and while he couldn’t maintain his fine goalscoring form at the start of the season throughout the winter and the start of 2020, he’s undoubtedly a major goal threat, and 10/1 in this market is simply too large.
The 23-year-old has scored in two of Leicester’s last four games against Watford, and this is the sort of value you shouldn’t turn your nose up at.
