Newcastle at home the ideal fixture for struggling Sunderland
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For a side that hasn’t tasted victory in nine all-competition matches, with the last coming in the FA Cup at Fulham, Sunderland don’t half look a good home bet to beat Newcastle in the Premier League at 6/4.
Their last match at the Stadium of Light, when Aston Villa cruised to a 4-0 triumph, ended the reign of Gus Poyet and saw Dick Advocaat installed in the manager’s seat, until the summer at least.
The Black Cats certainly put in an improved performance during their 1-0 loss at West Ham, when the Dutchman was denied his first ever Premier League point by a late Diafra Sakho strike, but that’s not the reason they’re a good bet here.
Newcastle haven’t beaten their north-east rivals in six matches dating back to August 2011, losing all of their home games and once on the road during that run, but that’s also not the reason the hosts look good for the win.
Give up? It’s because Mike Ashley’s playthings are terrible away from home, managing just three Premier League victories on the road all term, and only one since former boss Alan Pardew’s five-game winning run in the top flight back in October/November.
Four points from 12 on the road since John Carver took charge doesn’t looks so bad at first, but three of those came away to Hull, and they’ve even lost at rock-bottom Leicester this year, albeit in the FA Cup.
Newcastle have conceded at least twice in five of their past seven away fixtures all told, and leaked eight in their last two trips to Manchester City and Everton.
There are few opportunities left for Advocaat to drag his new side out of their current 17th-place predicament, with the visits of Crystal Palace and Leicester tempered by trips to Stoke, Everton, Arsenal and Chelsea. Back them to grab three points in the Tyne/Wear derby.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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