Leeds United vs Leicester City Odds & Preview Premier League Round 7
- Leeds United host Leicester City on Monday (3:00 pm ET) in a battle of top-half teams looking to pick up critical points in Round 7 of England’s Premier League
- Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds are very slight +155 favorites against Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester at +165
- Get a breakdown of both clubs, Monday’s odds and a few value picks below
While it may not have the traditional luster of Sunday’s Arsenal-Manchester United showdown, Monday’s clash at Elland Road — the closing contest of Matchday 7 — between Leeds and Leicester promises plenty of betting intrigue.
After a rollicking start to the season, Leeds (3-1-2) have settled into steady form and look more likely to challenge for a European spot than fight against relegation in their first Premier League season since 2003-04.
Leicester (4-0-2) have started this campaign in near-identical form to last season, looking primed to challenge for a European spot and — having sorted their scoring woes from early October — a goal-happy outfit.
Leeds United vs Leicester City Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leeds United | -0.5 (+155) | +155 | Over 2.5 (-139) |
| Leicester City | +0.5 (-190) | +165 | Under 2.5 (+112) |
| Draw | N/A | +255 | N/A |
Odds taken October 31 from DraftKings
One significant note regarding rest: Leeds enter Monday’s contest on more than a week’s rest since their 1-nil triumph over Aston Villa on Oct. 23, while Leicester have played three matches — two in Europe — dating back to Oct. 22.
Head-to-head meetings are irrelevant in this matchup, as it’s the first meeting between the two clubs in England’s top division since the 2003-04 season — a forgettable one for both, who were relegated to the Championship at its conclusion.
Leeds United: Defensive Improvement
The age-old adage in sport is that defence wins championships, and while Leeds are hardly a title contender in the top-heavy Premier League, Bielsa’s team has locked things down defensively (2 GA in last 4 games) and seen a flow of results in the process.
This is why Bielsa gets the kudos he does. Restructuring his team, coming here and playing like this. The coaches coach. #lufc
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) October 23, 2020
Blanking Aston Villa and their then-perfect record 3-0 at Villa Park put the rest of the Premier League on notice: This is not a Leeds team or manager that will be satisfied with just surviving.
Leeds United vs Leicester City Stats
| 3-1-2 (1.67 pts/game) | 2020-21 Premier League Record | 4-0-2 (2.0 pts/game) |
| 12 (2.00/game) | Goals scored | 13 (2.16/game) |
| 9 (1.50/game) | Goals conceded | 8 (1.33/game) |
| QF | Leading Scorer | Group Stage |
| 28-9-9 | 2019-20 Record | 18-8-12 |
| 1st, Championship | 2019-20 Finish | 5th |
| 2-7-6 | H2H Record (W-L-T) | 7-2-6 |
Leicester: Managing Fixture Congestion
If there is a correlation between low-scoring contests and results for Monday’s hosts, the opposite is true of Leicester.
Brendan Rodgers’ team has both won (5-2 at Man City) and lost (0-3 vs West Ham) goal-filled contests, much the same as it has both risen (1-0 at Arsenal) and fallen (0-1 vs Aston Villa) in defensive games.
The key to the Foxes’ sustained success this season will be their ability to manage a busy schedule on a squad budget significantly smaller than that of their counterparts.
Wins in recent weeks over Zorya (3-0) and AEK Athens (2-1) have set Leicester up well in the UEFA Europa League, but the compound effect of heavy minutes and continental travel may start to show as the season progresses.
Best Bets
Even with Rodgers’ efforts at squad rotation through a tough European stretch, Leicester are bound to be feeling a little slow out of the gate: Leeds to win the first half (DNB) at -125 is an enticing play.
Piggy-backing off that idea — and recognizing that journeyman Patrick Bamford’s hat trick against Villa last week was an outlier — we support taking the Leeds front man to score (+165). Bamford has six goals in six appearances this season and consistently puts himself in good scoring positions with his high work rate.
Patrick Bamford attempted more shots vs. Aston Villa (9) than he completed passes (8).
12 touches inside the opposition box. 🏡 pic.twitter.com/7ngMflx7Fa
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) October 23, 2020
While Leeds have largely clamped down defensively since back-to-back seven-goal games to begin the season, Leicester’s away attack (9 GF in 3 matches) is one of the best in the Premier League and could very well find the net at some point — bringing the -177 BTTS play into the realm of possibility.
Picks: Leeds 1H DNB (-125), Bamford to Score (+165) and BTTS (-177)
Carlos Verde is a sports media professional, with writing featured in a number of outlets, including the Epoch Times, Ottawa Life Magazine and Where is Football. He also served as a broadcast commentator for the United Soccer League's Ottawa Fury FC.
