Leicester City begin their quest for an immediate return to the Premier League with a home clash against Coventry City. Coming off their appearance in the Championship playoff final, Coventry could be tricky opponents. However, the Foxes have retained much of their Premier League quality which should give them the upper hand on Sunday.
Leicester City enjoyed nine years of top-flight football epitomized by their sensational run to becoming Premier League Champions in the 2015/16 season under Claudio Ranieri. The once-in-a-lifetime triumph also paved the way for further milestones, including a place in the Champions League and the FA Cup title in 2021.
However, all that glory plummeted in a horrendous and turbulent 2022/23 campaign. The Foxes played under three managers, lost 22 of their 38 league matches and ultimately took the plunge into the second tier.
They will be looking for a fresh start under new manager Enzo Maresca, who will be keen to begin his time at the King Power Stadium on a positive note. Home form will be pivotal for Leicester City this season and they will hope to channel their run at the end of last season, where they claimed two wins and a draw from their final four matches.
Coventry City’s promotion bid went down the wire in June as they progressed all the way to the playoff finals. However, they ultimately fell short, losing on penalties against Luton Town following a 1-1 draw after extra time.
It remains to be seen how much Coventry City will miss Viktor Gyokeres during the season following his departure to Sporting Lisbon. They did not seem overly affected by the striker’s absence in preseason, claiming three wins and a draw from four matches, although it was mostly against lower league opposition.
Manager Mark Robbins will be targeting a much better start than last season when they failed to win any of their opening seven matches. However, there is reason for confidence this time around as Coventry City are unbeaten in their last 10 away matches in the Championship.
How the bookies view it
Leicester City are tipped as heavy favourites by bookies with a home win priced at 4/7 by bet365. Coventry City are priced at 5/1 by Unibet to be the spoilers on Sunday while 10bet is offering odds of 10/3 for a draw.
Recent Head to Head
Leicester City are unbeaten in the five league matches against Coventry City, claiming two wins and three draws in that run. The Foxes did the double over their rivals the last time both teams met in the Championship back in 2011 with the clash at the King Power Stadium ending 2-0.
Players to watch
Jamie Vardy may be 36 but is still expected to play a pivotal role for Leicester City and could be backed to score anytime at 6/4 with Paddy Power. Fellow striker Kelechi Iheanacho has been linked with a move away but should offer more attacking quality while he remains at the club and is priced at 33/20 by Unibet in the same market.
Ellis Sims caught the eye for Premier League side Everton in the second half of last season and is expected to bring some topflight quality to Coventry City's frontline. The striker could be worth keeping an eye on to score anytime at 15/4 with bet365.
Anything else catch the eye?
Neither side looks solid enough at the back their attacking quality means both teams can be backed to score at 10/11 with William Hill. There have been over 2.5 goals in the last four matches at the King Power Stadium and a repeat is priced at 4/5 with 10bet.
With Leicester City priced at minimal odds for a straight victory, a win and over 2.5 goals can be considered at 16/11 with 10bet.
This England Championship match between Leicester City and Coventry City will be played on Aug 6, 2023 and kick off at 12:00. Check below for our tipsters best Leicester City vs Coventry City prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
