WATFORD will be presented with the opportunity to all but guarantee their Premier League status when they welcome Newcastle to Vicarage Road on Saturday lunchtime.
The Hornets took a huge stride towards survival in midweek when battling back from an early setback to secure a 2-1 victory over basement boys Norwich.
Tuesday evening's triumph represented Watford's first win since the resumption and it was a much-needed shot in the arm following a worrying run of just one win in 11 Premier League games.
Consequently, Nigel Pearson's men have given themselves a three point buffer over the bottom-three sides and back-to-back home successes would go a long way to preserving their place in the top-flight.
The visitors to Vicarage Road this weekend are a Newcastle outfit who have exceeded expectations this season under the stewardship of the much-maligned Steve Bruce.
Indeed, the Magpies were mauled 5-0 by Man City in midweek, however, the Toon Army's place in the top-tier was all but secured with eight games remaining with boss Bruce quietly impressing while keeping many of his critics at bay.
Outright Betting
Watford, despite winning just two of their 12 league games, are odds-on favourites at 4/5 with Ladbrokes.
Newcastle are as big as 19/5 with Betfred to bag all three points while a point apiece is priced up at 11/4 with Betway
Betting Angles
Both of my recommended bets landed during Watford's 2-1 win over Norwich on Tuesday night and I'm again going to delve into the cards markets at Vicarage Road on Saturday.
The Hornets are the third-most ill-disciplined side in the division having collected 71 cards across 34 Premier League outings – an average of just over two cards per game.
With that in mind I was pleasantly surprised to see two or more cards for Nigel Pearson's troops on Saturday trading at 8/11 with Bet 365.
Taking the above-mentioned betting angle would have banked profit in each of Watford's last three league matches and I'm happy to side with a repeat this weekend when Watford go in search of what would be a priceless three points in their bid to beat the drop.
Whether or not Watford can make it two wins on the spin remains to be seen, however, a home win at odds-on of 4/5 looks a little short to me for a side who needed a Danny Welbeck wonder-goal to overcome a goal-shy Norwich City outfit.
Indeed, Watford won in midweek and have more to play for but they have only managed to take maximum points from two of their last 12 top-flight tussles.
Newcastle, meanwhile, despite being shredded by Man City, have lost just two of their last nine matches across all competitions.
What's more, the Magpies have made the net bulge in all but one of their run-outs since the resumption and I'm expecting a response from Bruce's bruised side when they head south on Saturday.
The Toon look too big at 19/5 (Betfred) to claim all three points but I'm going to opt for an alternative angle by backing Newcastle with a 0.75 start on the asian handicap at 17/20 with Genting.
Taking this approach would generate profit if Newcastle avoid defeat and you would only lose your full stake if Watford win by two or more goals, not to mention it's a punt that would have paid out in seven of Newcastle's last eight Premier League assignments.
This English Premier League match between Watford and Newcastle will be played on Jul 11, 2020 and kick off at 12:30. Check below for our tipsters best Watford vs Newcastle prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
