Having finished in a respectable ninth position in their first season in the top flight, few would have tipped Leeds United to be in a relegation battle this time around. The new Premier League campaign has been difficult for Marcelo Bielsa’s men and, while they are above the bottom three for now, another poor run of results could see them sucked into the drop zone.
Travelling to Elland Road on Saturday are an Arsenal side who have some issues of their own. Their position in the table doesn’t suggest any problems but, by stripping Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of the captaincy and suspending him from the midweek game against West Ham, all is clearly not well in the Gunners Camp.
It all makes for an interesting backdrop to Saturday’s 5.30pm kick off and it could potentially lead to some interest odds across all markets. So here is our full LUFC vs AFC preview and betting tips.
When there are odds against figures on all three possible outcomes, there is always going to be scope for nice returns. Of course, we have to make the right call and it’s not a straightforward one here. Arsenal go into the game as favourites with 21/20 being the best price for Arteta’s men. Victory for Leeds United is next at 9/4 while the draw moves out to 13/5.
There would have been more interest in a positive result for the home side if they hadn’t been demolished by Manchester City on Tuesday night. There is no disgrace in going down to Pep Guardiola’s EPL champions but the manner of the 7-0 hammering could leave a demoralised Leeds’ side as they head towards some vital fixtures.
A day later, Arsenal hosted an in-form West Ham United side and secured a comfortable 2-0 win. The Hammers went down to ten men midway through the second half but it was still an impressive performance against a top four rival.
Immediate form and overall results point to the Gunners but can Leeds use home advantage to swing those odds?
Arsenal have endured some well-publicised issues among their strikers this week and it could affect their potency in front of goal. There is no indication at the time of writing this preview as to whether Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will return to the side but he does start as favourite to open the scoring at 9/2.
News updates should be checked before committing to a stake on the Gabon striker while a safer option could involve Alexandre Lacazette at 5/1. Leeds’ main striker Patrick Bamford has also struggled with injury recently so, once again, team news should be checked before backing him at that same price of 5/1.
For longer priced options from behind the front men, Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka at 10/1 and Leeds’ Daniel James at 14/1 could be the ones to watch.
In other side bets, Both Teams to Score is on offer at best industry odds of 8/13 and that may be a little short for Saturday. In their first 17 league games of the 2021/22 season Leeds United had found the net just 17 times. Across the same period of time, Arsenal had scored 24 goals.
We’re used to seeing BTTS drop below evens but the stats suggest it’s one to be avoided. Perhaps this is a game to bet ‘No’ on Both Teams to Score which is listed at a tempting top price of 7/5.
Over in the Total Goals section, a stake Above the 2.5 line is quoted at a best of 8/11. By pushing that to Over 3.5, the top price rises to 15/8.
Final suggestions come from the Correct Score market where a 2-0 away win should attract some interest at best odds of 12/1. Alternatively, a 1-1 draw is on offer at a best of 7/1 while a 2-1 victory in favour of Leeds United can be found at 10/1.
Our Preview’s LUFC vs AFC Betting Tips Conclusion
Prior to the midweek matches we had identified this game as one where a possible upset could occur. Arsenal were coming off a mixed run of form and had those issues with their former captain.
However, the contrasting results make it difficult to look past the away win. Leeds United will struggle for motivation following that heavy defeat to Manchester City while Arsenal have momentum after easing past West Ham.
The good news is that the away win carries respectable odds of 21/20 so we’ll start with that as our first tip. The team goals markets offer the better options for the side bets. Leeds are averaging at exactly a goal a game over the league season so this preview take ‘no’ on Both Teams to Score as the second of our betting tips.
Arsenal are keeping it tight at the back and that 2-0 away win is a tempter at 12/1 but we’ll stick with the shorter options on a day where the Gunners should be comfortable winners. So these are the selections:
- Arsenal to win at a best price of 21/20 with Betfred.
- Both Teams to Score: Bet ‘No’ at biggest odds of 7/5 with BetVictor.
Matt Harris is a football writer for Just Bookies. Other sports in his portfolio of specialities include golf and cricket. Matt has contributed to innumerable large organisations and media brands. These include: Betfair, BetVictor, USA Betting & Unibet. 