Leicester v Watford: Foxes can capitalise on Hornets absences
Published:As Leicester welcome Watford to the King Power Stadium for the first leg of their play-off semi-final clash, the moods of either side are likely to be greatly contrasting.
11/10 favourites Leicester will enter the tie in buoyant mood, after an injury-time winner in their last outing saw them snatch a top-six berth from Bolton’s grasp.
And visitors Watford, 5/2 for victory, will be less pleased to be participating at this stage, in the knowledge that triumph in their last match would have secured automatic promotion to the Premier League.
Instead, Leeds’ injury-time strike at Vicarage Road ensured the Hornets succumbed to a 2-1 defeat, in a match that could heavily influence the outcome of this bout.
Gianfranco Zola is now sweating on the fitness of goalkeepers Manuel Almunia and Jonathan Bond, with the pair picking up injuries before and during that last match respectively.
Their replacement, 19-year-old Jack Bonham, went on to be at fault for both Leeds goals, and so the return of a regular first-team stopper looks essential to Watford’s chances.
The visitors will be without 19-goal Troy Deeney too, who is suspended, yet they should find the net in defeat to Nigel Pearson’s charges.
Indeed, the Hornets have notched on four of their last five visits to the King Power Stadium, with Leicester emerging victorious from the same amount of those clashes.
The hosts are 31/10 to prevail from a match in which both defences are breached, and a hefty number of goals should be expected too.
These teams represent the Championship’s best and fourth best attacks across the course of the season, and three or more goals have emerged from four of the past five encounters that Leicester have hosted between the two.
Therefore, 9/4 looks a very fair price that at least 2.5 strikes are registered in a Foxes success here.
And with Leicester bagging four goals in three of those last five meetings, the 9/1 that they breach Watford four or more times could also be worthy of consideration.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
