Sunderland v Newcastle predictions

Match	Date	Selection	Bet	Odds	Bet now
Sunderland v Newcastle predictions Premier League England, England	21/10/2012 14:30	full time result	Draw	3.37	Bet at Pinnacle
Betting prediction was written by Matt

Sunderland v Newcastle predictions and preview: Betting stats

Sunderland sit 13^th in the Premier League with 7 points having played 6 games, one less than almost every other team thanks to their postponed game against Reading. Their record so far is W1 D4 L1 and their form of DDDWL shows they started with four consecutive draws until a win at home to Wigan and a defeat at the Etihad. Their home form has seen that win against Wigan and an admirable 1-1 draw with Liverpool. Their games so far have been low scoring, averaging just 2 goals a game with 2 over 2.5 goals and 4 under.

Their big rivals Newcastle are 3 places and 2 points better off with a record of W2 D3 L2. Their recent form has been a little patchy at DDWDL and away from home they are yet to record a win. They were on the receiving end of a 2-0 defeat at Chelsea followed by a controversial 2-2 draw with Everton and another with Reading. Newcastle’s games have seen a few more goals than Sunderland’s at an average of 2.71 while 4 of these have been over 2.5 goals; 3 under.

Head-to-head in recent years have been closely fought between these teams. Sunderland haven’t beaten Newcastle for almost exactly 4 years but in this time there have been three draws. Overall Sunderland have gained a home win in this fixture 20 times, Newcastle have won away 17 times and there have been 19 draws.

Team News and Run of Play

Sunderland will be without James McClean for this fixture while former Man Utd defenders Phil Bardsley and Wes Brown will probably also be missing. Newcastle have a bit of an injury crisis at the moment but perhaps fortunately the majority are fringe players if that. The absence of Steven Taylor and Coloccini may be a real blow however. Tim Krul is yet to return to full fitness and Ryan Taylor is a long term absentee.

It is safe to say Sunderland’s start to the season has been thoroughly average. Four draws to kick their campaign off left them floundering slightly before a narrow victory over Wigan and a comprehensive beating away to Man City. Steven Fletcher has been the only man to score for Sunderland so far this season; 5 goals is a very good return but naturally he will need his teammates to begin contributing to the goal tally as he can’t carry them all season. It is quite difficult to read anything into Sunderland’s home form after just two matches against two very different opponents.

Newcastle would have liked to start their season slightly better also. Last season’s magnificent league finish might have given them positive momentum but so far in the league they are really missing Papiss Cisse’s goals – it’s almost like the start of last season with Demba Ba scoring plenty and Cisse not even being at the club! They are struggling to keep clean sheets this season but they have every reason to struggle as they have been missing their talismanic centre back pairing and outstanding shot stopper.

For me, as this is a derby match, it could be highly entertaining or it could be a feisty, scrappy affair. I can see both teams willing to sit back soak the other’s attacking pressure for at least the first 30 minutes. An early mistake could ruin their game and the idea of making a huge mistake in a derby match wouldn’t be an enticing prospect for any player on the pitch at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland v Newcastle predictions: 1X2 betting preview

Seeing as recent years have yielded a few draws, that the draw is nearly the most common result in this fixtures and that both sides have drawn more games than they’ve won or lost this season, I think the draw is my pick at 3.37 with Pinnacle here. I can’t call it and at this point in the season I think both teams wouldn’t mind the draw out of this fixture.

If you agree there’ll be a stalemate in the Tyne-Wear derby then bet it here.

Sunderland v Newcastle predictions: Asian Handicap preview

The draw is my bet here and the each-of-two nature of the odds means the Asian handicap on offer is (0), or draw no bet. For me I’d favour the away side in this fixture. I think Newcastle pose more of a threat going forward and if Hatem Ben Arfa has a good game and isn’t kicked off the park by Lee Cattermole then he could have some say in the result. Newcastle Draw No Bet is the bet here at 2.10 with Paddy Power.

If you think Newcastle edge it slightly then back it here.

Sunderland v Newcastle predictions: Total Goals preview

These two sides have just three different goalscorers between them (Fletcher has all 5 Sunderland goals, Demba Ba with 6 and Hatem Ben Arfa with 2 have Newcastle’s). They haven’t been hugely high scoring and since I think the draw it seems like, despite Newcastle’s last two games ending 2-2, there will be under 2.5 goals. The bookies seem to agree and have the unders as favourite.

Stan James are 1.8 if you agree there won’t be too many goals.