Newcastle vs. Liverpool odds, picks

The atmosphere at St. James’ Park is always raucous, but it reaches a new level Monday afternoon when Newcastle hosts Liverpool.

Not only are these clubs expected to battle at the top of the Premier League table this season, but their fan bases have been hurling barbs at one another over the Alexander Isak transfer saga.

Isak, 25, established himself as one of the best strikers in the world during his three seasons with Newcastle, but the Swedish striker now has his sights set on a move to Liverpool, though his current club doesn’t seem keen on the idea.

That’s a problem when you’re under contract, but Isak won’t relent.

The striker has gone public, saying his relationship with Newcastle is over, and his manager, Eddie Howe, has responded by having the goal-scorer train on his own, away from his perturbed teammates.

Premier League: Newcastle vs. Livepool odds, prediction

The transfer deadline is Sept. 1, so there’s still time for more twists and turns in this soap opera, but Monday’s contest between the Magpies and Reds will be memorable, as the 52,000 fans in St. James’ Park will have their fangs out.

The Isak drama may feel like the main attraction Monday, but there’s also an important match to be played between two of the best teams in the world.

Liverpool started their title defense with a win over Bournemouth at Anfield in Matchweek 1, but things were a bit more nervy than the Reds would have expected.

The defending champions went ahead, 2-0, with goals on either side of the halftime break, but they put things into cruise control way too early, and Bournemouth made them pay with two quick tallies.

Liverpool rescued the win, but they benefited from a fortunate deflection for the eventual game-winner.

The Reds were able to get away with some shaky defense at home against Bournemouth, but they’ll be punished harshly if they don’t clean things up before heading to Tyneside to take on Newcastle.

Even without Isak, Newcastle should be a decent attacking team, with Anthony Gordon, Anthony Elanga and Harvey Barnes expected to lead the line for now.

The early returns for that unit, and Newcastle, may not seem encouraging after a nil-nil draw with Aston Villa in their opener, but they created 1.4 expected goals and were clearly the better team in that matchup.

Liverpool’s attacking options are much more robust, but they could find space and time hard to come by Monday. Unlike Bournemouth, Newcastle will do everything it can to keep this match from unfurling into a back-and-forth battle with chances at both ends.

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Liverpool does its best work in high-event matches, so priority No. 1 for Newcastle will be to take some of the volatility out of the game.

You can also expect Newcastle, playing in front of its rabid fan base, to be physical, knowing that the last thing Liverpool will want is to get tangled up in a wrestling match.

Liverpool answered every question that was thrown at them last year en route to the title, so there’s no question that the Reds should be favored in this match, but this is a unique situation against a world-class opponent.

The champs are a vulnerable favorite Monday afternoon.

The Play: Newcastle +240 (bet365)

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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.