Leeds United last laugh envisaged as Whites get strong fresh backing amid FA Cup expectation
Leeds United have received big fresh backing with seven games left of the club’s Premier League survival bid.
A big Leeds United last laugh is envisaged by the bookmakers amid FA Cup expectation upon the return to action after the international break.
Daniel Farke’s Whites now have just seven games left in their bid for Premier League survival which will not resume until the second Monday in April when Leeds visit Manchester United in an 8pm kick-off at Old Trafford.
Before that, attention will turn back to the FA Cup in the first game back after the international break with a quarter-final against West Ham in a 4.30pm kick-off at the London Stadium on Sunday, April 5.
West Ham remain in the Premier League’s third and final relegation place - four points behind 15th-placed Leeds - but the bookies expect the Irons to see off Leeds and book their place in the FA Cup’s semi-finals.
In the early odds for the game, West Ham are just about shading favouritism in being a best-priced 29-20 for the quarter-final for which Leeds are 9-5 shots.
In a very close market, the draw is on offer at 13-5 but the Irons are favourites to go through at 4-5 compared to Leeds who are evens.
Strong view on clear four-way battle
The bookies, though, ultimately expect the Whites to have the biggest last laugh by staying up, unlike West Ham who the oddsmakers still just about think will go down.
In what is seen in a four-way battle to avoid finishing third-bottom, Tottenham’s odds continue to shorten but the Irons remain third favourites to be relegated at a best-priced 5-4 in front of Burnley and Wolves who are both 1-200 and considered as good as down.
Spurs are as short as 5-4 with some firms but still as big as 9-5 with others, considerably shorter than both Nottingham Forest and Leeds who the bookies have given fresh backing to in their survival bids.
Fresh from the weekend’s 3-0 win at Tottenham, Forest are now as big as 13-2 to go down but still shorter than Leeds who are a best-priced 8-1.
There is then a huge gap to Crystal Palace at 200-1 and an even bigger one to Sunderland and Brighton at 500s.