NEWCASTLE UNITED will be targeting five successive wins in the Premier League when they square off with Chelsea at St James' Park on Saturday evening.
Geordie excitement continues to soar following the Toons' 4-1 triumph at Southampton last Sunday, on an afternoon where my Total Team Goals tip landed.
That south coast success has left Newcastle surveying the standings from the lofty heights of third place and it has also left the St James' Park faithful dreaming about the prospect of taking their place at the top table of European football for the first time in nearly two decades.
Eddie Howe's team will now face an acid-test of their top-four credentials when they come up against two-time European champions Chelsea this weekend.
The honeymoon period certainly appears to be over for Graham Potter following a three-match losing sequence in all competitions, the most recent of which saw the Blues crash out of the Carabao Cup in midweek.
Following back-to-back losses in the Premier League, Chelsea are occupying seventh place in the table and they will face little respite when they make the trip to Tyneside this weekend.
Outright Betting
Newcastle, who have lost just one of their last 18 Premier League home games, head into this game 13/10 favourites with PaddyPower.
Chelsea are without a win in each their last five domestic league and cup fixtures and the bookies” odds suggest the Blues could drop more points here, with an away trading at 2/1 (Bet 365) while a share of the St James' Park spoils pays 12/5 (Bet 365.).
Betting Angles
Newcastle will attract plenty of attention from punters at odds-against quotes but I'm going to opt for an alternative angle via the Bet Builder market by merging Newcastle to score, over three Newcastle corners and over two match cards at 10/11 (Bet 365).
As already alluded St James' Park has been somewhat of a fortress during Eddie Howe's Toon tenure, with Newcastle coming up short in front of their supporters in the Premier League just once this calendar year.
What's more, Newcastle have notched at least once in a lofty 17 of their 19 top-flight tussles under Howe's tutorship and they should be capable of carving out chances against a Chelsea team that have chalked up just four cleans in 13 Premier League outings this term to date.
As such, I'm more than happy to back the high-flying Magpies to hit the back of the net here , but to boost the odds, I'll also go with over three Newcastle corners.
Only star-studded Liverpool and Manchester City have been more prominent corner performers in the Premier League than Newcastle season, with Howe's hosts averaging 6.71 flag kicks per-game, a tally that increases to a whopping 8.14 on home turf.
To round off the Bet Builder I'm going with over two match cards in what promises to be a tasty televised encounter under the north east lights on Saturday evening.
Chelsea are averaging a chunky 2.38 cards per-game this season in the Premier League, with five of their six league games under Graham Potter's guidance generating at least match bookings, not to mention man in the middle Rob Jones has flashed 3+ cards in seven of his nine top-flight assignments this term.
Elsewhere I'll also jump into the To Score Or Assist market where the 13/5 (PaddyPower ) on Newcastle's Miguel Almirón looks a little too big to ignore.
Having scored seven goals across his last seven league appearances for Newcastle, the Paraguayan looks worthy of some interest to have goal involvement here at an enticing price.
This English Premier League match between Newcastle United and Chelsea will be played on Nov 12, 2022 and kick off at 17:30. Check below for our tipsters best Newcastle United vs Chelsea prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
