Leeds United given massive fresh backing for Burnley visit with two huge steps towards survival expected

Leeds United have been given massive fresh backing ahead of Friday night’s visit of Burnley and two huge steps are expected towards Premier League survival.

Five days on from Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea, Daniel Farke’s Whites will resume their bid to keep top-flight status with Friday night’s visit of already-relegated Burnley who announced on Thursday morning that manager Scott Parker had left the club.

Leeds, though, automatically promoted last season alongside Burnley, sit six points clear of the drop zone with just four games left and the bookies fully expect the Whites to kick nine points clear of the bottom three by beating the Clarets.

In massive fresh backing from the bookmakers, Farke’s Whites have been very strong favourites for the game in being an eye-wateringly short 4-11 with some firms and no bigger than 2-5.

Despite only losing 1-0 to Manchester City last week, Burnley can be backed at 15-2 and even the draw is on offer at 4-1.

The bookies, though, think that victory against the Clarets will represent the first of two enormous towards Premier League survival for Leeds over the coming weekend, third-bottom Tottenham Hotspur not particularly fancied by them for Sunday evening’s clash at Aston Villa, despite the nature of the game.

Spurs are two points behind fourth-bottom West Ham and six adrift of Leeds, games running out in their battle to avoid the drop.

It’s perhaps led to the team being shorter in the betting than they would be for Sunday’s clash at fifth-placed Villa but the bookies still expect the hosts to take all three points.

Unai Emery’s men are hovering around the even money marker in being no bigger than 23-20 but as short as 11-10 with some firms.

Tottenham have not been written off for the game by those making the odds, Roberto De Zerbi’s side 23-10 and the draw on offer at 11-4.

On the cusp of mathematical safety

But a Villa win is seen as far by the most likely result which would leave Leeds nine points clear of Tottenham with just three games left on the assumption that Farke’s Whites beat Burnley.

Mathematically, it would mean United would need just one more point to absolutely guarantee survival although Leeds already have a better goal difference than Spurs of three goals and the bookies can see that being enhanced this weekend.

They also think that both fourth-bottom West Ham and fifth-bottom Nottingham Forest will suffer defeats too.

West Ham, currently four points behind Leeds, visit Brentford on Saturday afternoon in a 3pm kick-off for which the Bees are odds-on with most firms and as short as 3-4.

Forest, just one point behind the Whites, visit a possibly rejuvenated Chelsea side on Bank Holiday Monday in a 3pm kick-off for which the Blues are strong odds-on favourites in being no bigger than 8-11.

It all adds up to Leeds being 28-1 to go down, shorter than Forest at 25s in what is now considered a two horse race.

At odds of 3-4, the bookies think Spurs will be relegated although West Ham themselves are only 8-5.