Leicester v Newcastle
Premier League – 8.00 pm
Sky Sports
The Foxes are putting a late run at a top seven finish together. They have come to life with a four-match winning streak going at the moment in the top flight, winning five of their last six. So they are a hot ticket and they have scored at least two goals in each of their last five victories. When they step out against Newcastle on Friday night, they will be looking to extend their home winning form to four as well.
When the two met earlier this season on Tyneside, Leicester collected a 2-0 win at St James’ Park. Leicester are 7/10 with leading bookmakers to go and complete the league double over the Magpies this season. The Magpies have only won twice on the road this season and haven’t claimed a win in any of their last eight away from home. They have lost all away games played against the current top six as well. Starting five points clear of the drop zone they could do with a few more points to be comfortable. They are 17/4 to pull off the underdog success.
Newcastle v Leicester
Premiership Rugby – 7.45 pm
BT Sport
This match at Kingston Park on Friday night could have huge implications in the battle for survival at the foot of the Premiership table. Newcastle Falcons are the bottom side and need a huge performance in this home fixture to boost their survival hopes. The Falcons start three points behind second-from-bottom Worcester and five behind third-from-bottom Leicester.
So if they could get a bonus point win, the Falcons could pull level on point with the Tigers. That would be huge. Similarly, a defeat would damage them immensely with just three games to go afterwards. Newcastle have won their last two home games in the Premiership and they are 4/7 to win this outright with leading bookmakers. They were on a three-match league winning streak before a loss at Saracens last weekend.
But then Leicester will know that maximum points are likely going to be enough to keep them safe this season. The Tigers have to shake off some poor form of just one win in six. But they have suffered just two defeats in their last 18 games against the Falcons across all competitions. The Tigers have won four of the last five meetings against them, so certainly boss the head to head. The Leicester Tigers head to Kingston Park as 6/4 underdogs in what should be a mighty clash.
St Helens v Warrington
Super League Rugby – 7.45 pm
Sky Sports
This game is an interesting one now after St Helens suffered their first defeat of the season last time out. They were toppled away at the Catalans Dragons and so now this will be a first big test of character of them. Sometimes losing a big winning streak like the eight-match sequence that the Saints had been on, can totally ruin momentum. That can be hard to get back. This is not the easiest of games in which the Saints can get back to winning ways in either, as they face top side, Warrington.
Still, the Saints are 4/7 odds-on on home soil to produce the victory. Warrington have matched the Saints in terms of points, having posted an equal W8 L1 record from their nine games of this season’s competition. However, there has been a noticeable difference between the two in that the Wolves have scored almost 50 points more than the Saints have done. The leading bookmakers have a handicap of +4 on Warrington at even money to hold onto on their visit to Merseyside. This is a big clash for supremacy now and one perhaps that the Saints can’t afford to drop at home.
Vasyl Lomachenko v Anthony Crolla
Boxing – 4.30 am (Saturday)
Sky Sports
An early rise on Saturday morning for this one which is a bout going off in Los Angeles on Friday night in the USA. England’s Anthony Crolla is a big 18/1 underdog for the bout and to shock the world by taking down the Ukrainian. Any backers of that successful outcome would be pulling off a best bet of the day. Crolla has won this last three fights and his beating of Daud Yordan on points last year lined him up as the mandatory challenger for WBA and WBO lightweight champ Lomachenko.
Many have Lomachenko as the best pound for pound fighter in the world. Leading bookmakers have him at 1/6 only to win by a knockout. Lomachenko is W12 L1 in his pro career, the defeat coming in his second ever bout. Nine of his victories have been by a knockout. He was taken the distance in his last fight in December against Jose Pedraza but still got a fairly comfortable unanimous decision. Before that, he was taken all the way to the 10th round before stopping Jorge Linares, who Crolla has lost twice against on a unanimous decision.
