Leeds United will be looking to stretch their unbeaten run to four matches when they make the trip to Watford on Saturday. The Whites can move 11 points clear of their weekend opponents with a win and take a giant step towards Premier League safety.
Watford know that it us approaching crunch time for them in their battle to beat the drop as the Premier League season heads for the final straight. FiveThirtyEight, a website that uses data to provide predictions on matches, believes Leeds are very slight favourites with a 38% chance of winning.
But at 37%, they also think that the Hornets have a strong chance of securing the victory, meaning it is all set up for a nail-biting clash. Pundits from across the media have also been giving their views on tonight’s fixture and LeedsLive have rounded them up for you.
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Mark Lawrenson – BBC Sport
In his latest weekly predictions column, BBC Sport’s Mark Lawrenson has backed Leeds to come away from Vicarage Road with all three points. He said: “Watford were actually very competitive against Liverpool last weekend, they just didn't take their chances at Anfield.
“It's not away from home where Watford are really struggling though - they have lost their past eight league games at Vicarage Road since beating Manchester United 4-1 in November and have the worst home record in the top flight. If they are going to stay up then that needs to change, and quickly, because five of their remaining eight games are at their place, starting with this one.
“I actually think Leeds will beat them, though, because they seem to have got their mojo back. Jesse Marsch has done extremely well since taking charge and picked up seven points from their past three games. Another win here would make them pretty much safe.
“Kalvin Phillips should be able to play more of a part - and maybe even start - after coming off the bench in last week's draw with Southampton. His return to fitness is definitely going to help.”
Prediction: Watford 1-2 Leeds
Paul Merson – Sportskeeda
Paul Merson is also expecting a close game between the two sides battling to beat the drop, but thinks it will end all square. He said: “Watford have got to win this one to boost their survival hopes and if they do, they could bring Leeds United straight back into the dogfight. I thought they were safe, but looking at the Premier League table, they could be in trouble if they lose this one.
“I think this game will have a lot of goals in it, so I'm going for a 2-2 draw. It's impossible to predict the three teams that will get relegated, because at this stage of the season, it changes every week! What I will say is that Watford's run-in is considerably easier than Everton's, so they'll fancy their chances of catching the Toffees between now and the end of the season.”
Prediction: Watford 2-2 Leeds
Vinnie Jones – Easyodds
In his latest weekly column for Easyodds, Vinnie Jones is also expecting both sides to earn a share of the spoils.
Prediction: Draw
