Newcastle and Crystal Palace have a quick turnaround between fixtures on Wednesday and Paul Robinson is expecting the hosts to come out on top.
The Magpies have a big budget at their disposal over the summer, so even some of Howe’s January signings will still want to prove their worth.
Magpies flying at home
The Toon Army have a new hero, as Bruno Guimarães added a last gasp goal to his earlier strike in the team’s 2-1 win over Leicester on Sunday.
That victory all but confirms Newcastle’s survival, with Eddie Howe’s men now on 37 points – 12 clear of Burnley in 18th.
The result was also their fifth straight win at St James’ Park, and only Man City have beaten them here since October of last year.
Given the short turnaround between the two fixtures, I would expect Howe to make a couple of changes for the visit of Crystal Palace, with Joe Willock, especially, possibly in line for a start.
Season over for Palace?
Crystal Palace have had an excellent campaign under Patrick Vieira, as not only have they done well in terms of results, they have also reinvented the way the play – for the better.
That being said, they will be at a bit of a low ebb for this long trip to the North East, as they were beaten in their FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Sunday.
I would expect that Vieira will make a few changes for this game, as not only will he want to give a rest to some of his players, he will also want to give some fringe players a chance to impress.
Normally this would have the feel of an end of season fixture, where both sets of players are already “on the beach”.
While that might turn out to be the case for Palace – it will be difficult to lift themselves again following the cup exit – Newcastle are a side on the up, and the players will want to show Howe what they can do.
The Magpies have a big budget at their disposal over the summer, so even some of Howe’s January signings will still want to prove their worth.
Given all of that, I make the hosts a good bet at around 2.3811/8 on the Betfair Exchange. The draw and a Palace win are both available to back at 3.412/5, but they don’t interest me at all really.
In the Over/Under 2.5 Goal market, I do like the outsider, which is Over 2.5 at odds of 2.265/4.
It has landed in three of Newcastle’s last three at home, and two of Palace’s last three away from Selhurst Park in the league.
It really wouldn’t surprise me if Howe’s men ran up a bit of a score tonight, so they could easily get the three goals we need themselves.
Palace have been good for goals on the road themselves of late, as they have only failed to find the net in one of their last six away from home.
A Bet Builder on the Sportsbook is a great way of combining some of your fancies into a big priced selection, and that is exactly what I am doing for this game.
My picks are Newcastle to Win, Over 2.5 Goals, Both Teams to Score, Chris Wood to Score anytime and Allan Saint-Maximin to have 1+ Shot on Target. That comes in at just shy of 11/1, and should give us a good run for our money.
Wood hasn’t been overly prolific since his move to Tyneside, but he’s been playing well and is on penalties too.
Source: BetFair Tips
