Newcastle United vs Liverpool prediction, odds and betting tips

Newcastle United are wobbling in the race for the top four, and Liverpool will be looking to close the gap in the late kick-off on Saturday.

Newcastle United vs Liverpool odds

Here are the latest match odds for Newcastle United vs Liverpool from bet365.

• Newcastle United: 7/5
• Draw: 5/2
• Liverpool: 15/8

Best bookies to bet on Newcastle United vs Liverpool

Newcastle United vs Liverpool predictions

Nobody of a Liverpool persuasion will be getting carried away just yet.

This has been a season of false dawns for the Reds, who head into the weekend in ninth place in the Premier League despite beginning the campaign as second-favourites to win the title.

At the same time, there were plenty of positives to take from Liverpool’s display in the Merseyside derby on Monday night.

It is not just that they beat Everton 2-0. After all, their local rivals are in the relegation zone and have a dismal record away from home.

The performance is what will have pleased Jurgen Klopp most. His team were intense and aggressive. That marked a significant improvement upon recent showings in which Liverpool have been insipid and lacklustre.

A potential route back into the top four has opened up for the Reds, but only if they can build on the Everton display.

Liverpool are still nine points adrift of the Champions League qualification spots, but they have one or two games in hand on most of the teams above them.

A victory over fourth-placed Newcastle would allow them to close that gap and put pressure on the Magpies and other teams currently above them in the table.

This looks set to be a pivotal contest in the race for the top four.

Newcastle United vs Liverpool betting tips

Newcastle are struggling to win games at the moment, and Liverpool could take advantage if they play to their potential.

Liverpool to win – 15/8 (bet365)

There is no doubt that Newcastle are ahead of schedule.

Few expected them to mount a challenge for the top four in their first full season under Eddie Howe. It is only just over a year since they were 17th and in a relegation battle.

Newcastle have spent vast sums of money since then, benefitting from the controversial Saudi Arabian takeover.

But Eddie Howe has done a brilliant job to create a cohesive unit that is proving extremely difficult for Premier League opponents to get the better of.

Newcastle have still lost only one game all season – and that was in the reverse fixture, when Fabio Carvalho’s late goal brought Liverpool a 2-1 triumph at Anfield.

But while they are unfamiliar with the taste of defeat this term, the Magpies have not been winning many games of late.

In fact, Newcastle have picked up just one victory in their last six top-flight outings. 

The other five matches were all draws, and an optimist would point to the fact that Howe’s team avoided defeat in each of them. But mathematically speaking, it would have been better for Newcastle to win three and lose three.

If Liverpool can play with the energy they showed on Monday, they are more than capable of winning this match.

Under 2.5 goals – Evens (bet365)

Newcastle’s defensive record is remarkable.

Howe’s side have conceded only 13 goals in their 22 games to date, by far the best record in the division. 

Newcastle have also kept a league-high 12 clean sheets, which means they have shut out their opponents in a majority of their matches. 

Putting the ball in the back of the net has at times been a problem, though. Newcastle have scored only three goals in their last six matches in the Premier League.

Each of those games has featured under 2.5 goals, which is one reason why we recommend that wager for Saturday’s showdown.

Another reason relates to Liverpool. Klopp’s side are still feeling their way back into form after recently taking just one point from a possible 12.

They may have managed to score twice against Everton, but Liverpool’s attack is still not firing on all cylinders. The return from injury of Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota is welcome, but this match could come too soon for either forward to start.

At the other end of the field, Virgil van Dijk looks set to feature from the first whistle.

The Dutchman was not at his imperious best before World Cup 2022, but his return to the XI will make Liverpool much more solid.

This should be an absorbing encounter, but perhaps not a high-scoring one.

Mohamed Salah to score any time – 2/1 (bet365)

Mohamed Salah looked relieved when he scored Liverpool’s opening goal against Everton.

It was his first Premier League goal in 2023, and his first in six appearances in all competitions.

Like most of his team-mates, Salah has been unable to consistently perform to his potential this term.

His goal on Monday will have boosted the Egypt international’s confidence, though, and he will now be looking to follow that up by finding the net again this weekend.

Newcastle do not concede many goals and it will not be easy for Liverpool to find a way past the Premier League’s meanest defence, but they do at least have some dangerous attackers to call upon in Salah, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo.

Form is temporary but class is permanent, and a player of Salah’s quality can never be written off. At the odds available, this looks like an attractive selection.

How to watch Newcastle United vs Liverpool

• Location: St James’ Park, Newcastle, England.
• Date and time: Saturday 18 February 2023, 5.30pm.
• How to watch: Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.

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