Leeds United have roared back into contention for the EFL Championship crown with four wins in their last six games but face a test of title mettle with a trip to leaders Sunderland.
The Elland Road giants remain favourites to win the league, with Sunderland still as big as 10/1 with some firms despite their impressive start under new boss Regis Le Bris.
Leeds got off to a poor start, with two draws in the Championship and a 3-0 defeat Middlesbrough in the EFL Cup. The response since then has been impressive though and Tuesday's draw at Norwich has left them sitting fourth, just three behind the Black Cats.
Sunderland got off to a flier in the league with four successive wins but then hit a bump as they lost two of their next three. The Black Cats stopped that slump with a 2-0 win over Derby in midweek and will now be looking to make a statement of intent against Leeds.
This has the makings of a Friday night cracker and there should be a huge crowd at the Stadium Light to make the atmosphere red-hot.
How the bookies view it: Black Cats a bit overpriced
Leeds United have been favourites for most of their games this season and that hasn't changed here with Betano pricing them at 23/20. Sunderland look a bit overpriced at 85/40 with home advantage and the draw will popular at 23/10.
Recent head to head: Sunderland bossing it
Sunderland have held the upper hand of late, winning seven of the last 13 meetings and losing just four. The Black Cats won 1-0 at the Stadium of Light when Leeds last came calling then ground out a 0-0 draw at Elland Road.
Players to watch: Gnoto a threat for Leeds
I was surprised no Premier League teams made a move for Leeds winger Wilfried Gnoto before the transfer window closed. The Italian international scored in the win over Coventry last weekend and is 11/5 with Betano for another strike here.
Youngster Romaine Mundle has played a big part in Sunderland's good start and has three goals to his name already. The 21-year-old is 19/5 for anytime scorer and that looks a bit overpriced.
Probable line-ups
Eliezer Mayenda, Alan Browne, Salis Abdul Samed and Ahmed Abdullahi are doubts for Sunderland while Niall Huggins, Aji Alese and Jenson Seelt remain out.
Leeds look set to be without Manor Solomon, Ethan Ampadu, Daniel James and Max Wober are set to miss out again for Leeds United.
Sunderland: Patterson, Cirkin, Mepham, Hume, Neil, Bellingham, Roberts, Rigg, O'Nien, Mundle, Isidor.
Leeds United: Meslier, Bogle, Firpo, Ampadu, Struijk, Rodon, Aaronson, Gruev, Ramazani, Joseph, Gnonto.
Anything else catch the eye?
With both sides making strong starts to the season this is a tough one to call. The half-time draw is always a good option in these kind of games and it pays 23/20 here with Betfred.
Since opening the season with a 3-3 draw at home to Portsmouth, BTTS has failed to land in any other game for Leeds. It also didn't come up in both meetings last term so betting against both teams scoring could pay off here at evens with Bet365.
The Stadium of Light could be close to capacity for this one as both teams boast big supports. In such a frenzied atmosphere we could see a few tasty tackles so the card markets are worth a look. Over 5.5 cards pays 6/5 with Unibet who also price over 2.5 Sunderland cards a decent 49/50.
This England Championship match between Sunderland and Leeds United will be played on Oct 4, 2024 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Sunderland vs Leeds United prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
