Newcastle vs Liverpool talkSPORT betting tips – Best bets for huge Monday Night Football clash

The tension will be palpable on Tyneside come Monday evening as Newcastle prepare to welcome Premier League champions Liverpool to St James’ Park.

As if being the best team in the land last season wasn’t enough, and a major set of summer signings to boost their squad, the Reds are still on the trail of Newcastle’s wantaway striker Alexander Isak.

The Swedish frontman will play no part in this game, but his name will be on every mind as these teams tussle in what should be a lively clash in front of the Sky Sports cameras with a 20:00 start.

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Newcastle vs Liverpool betting tips

• Liverpool to win @ 1/1

• Hugo Ekitike to score first @ 11/2

Reds rule the roost over Magpies

Newcastle took victory in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley in March but it was a rare moment of joy for the Magpies when facing Liverpool.

Before that, Newcastle had gone 17 games without a win over the Reds, a run that stretched back to December 2015.

Last season there was a 3-3 thriller at St James’ Park, though Liverpool would have felt they should have won as a late misjudgement from Caoimhin Kelleher in goal allowed Fabian Schar to turn in a leveller from the tightest of angles.

Before that, the Merseysiders had picked up five wins in six Premier League visits to this venue in the North East.

The Anfield side have scored two or more goals in five of the last seven St James’ Park meetings and with their new of attacking talent settling in, they can boss Newcastle on their own patch.

Eddie Howe’s side dominated for large spells against Aston Villa on the opening weekend but, with Isak absent, they were blunt in front of goal.

That’s worrying for the hosts, who have added midfielder Jacob Ramsey to their roster in the interim, as they have now failed to score in three straight Premier League games.

Ekitike grabbing the limelight

With so much talk over a possible move to Merseyside for Isak, Hugo Ekitike hasn’t wasted any time laying down his marker.

The 23-year-old French ace was impressive for Eintracht Frankfurt last season, netting 15 Bundesliga goals.

He has scored the opener in both the Community Shield against Crystal Palace and the Premier League curtain raiser against Bournemouth.

His cool finishing against the Eagles and the Cherries suggests Ekitike has the potential to be everything that the now-departed Darwin Nunez was not in a Liverpool shirt.

Mohamed Salah got his goal late on against Bournemouth last time out and is favourite to score first, but Ekitike looks bright in and around the box and is taken to break the deadlock for the third game running.

Liverpool look to have goals in them and for those seeking to avoid the first goalscorer gauntlet, Ekitike to find the net at any time in a Liverpool win on a ground where they have been dominant comes in at 29/10.

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