Leeds vs Watford Prediction: Largie up Ramazani & Whites at Elland Road

Leeds United and Watford experienced contrasting results in derbies at the weekend; the Whites beat Yorkshire rivals Sheffield United 2-0 at Elland Road last Friday while a day later, the Hornets were thrashed 3-0 at Kenilworth Road by Luton Town in the M1 derby. The pair meet each other next, at Elland Road on Tuesday evening (19:45, Sky Sports+), with three points separating the sides in the EFL Championship table.

Below you can find my Leeds vs Watford prediction, complete with all the latest team news and match odds, ahead of this clash in West Yorkshire.

Team News

Leeds remain without injured trio Max Wober, Ethan Ampadu and Ilan Gruev but the rest of their players appear to have come through unscathed from Friday's battle with the Blades.

The backline of goalkeeper Illan Meslier, protected by Jayden Bogle, Joe Rodon, Pascal Struijk and Junior Firpo, looks set to remain in place on Tuesday, although each of Bogle, Rodon and Firpo are towing the disciplinary line as they are all on four yellow cards and a fifth would see them serve a one-game ban.

Midfielders Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell were superb in the Yorkshire derby and will continue in the engine room with Ampadu and Gruev both sidelined, while the front four of Wilfried Gnonto, Brenden Aaronson, Largie Ramazani and Joel Piroe could remain in situ as they have had three full days to recover from their efforts last week.

Mateo Joseph is an option to come into the starting XI if head coach Daniel Farke does decide to freshen things up, and the Spaniard should be buoyed by his strike off the bench against Sheff Utd, while Dan James and Manor Solomon will hope to earn more minutes on Tuesday after making their respective comebacks from injury at home to Chris Wilder's side.

Football Odds

Watford boss Tom Cleverley could make several changes to his lineup following Saturday's Kenilworth Road debacle. Among those in danger of being dropped to the bench are Vakoun Bayo and Edo Kayembe, who were withdrawn eight minutes after the interval against the Hatters. Daniel Jebbison and Kwadwo Baah came on for the duo and must be in contention to begin Tuesday's match, while fellow substitutes Festy Ebosele and Tom Ince could also start at Elland Road.

Cleverley received criticism for restoring Austrian goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann to the starting XI following a four-game injury absence. After Saturday's defeat, the former England international admitted that his number one wasn't fully fit, and Jonathan Bond is on standby to replace Bachmann again if doubts persist over the 30-year-old.

Kevin Keben, Jeremy Ngakia and Francisco Sierralta all missed the trip to Bedfordshire and the defensive trio are set to miss out again on Tuesday.

Leeds vs Watford Odds

*Please click on the link above to be taken to the main Leeds vs Watford page on betfred.com (or app) for all the live betting prices on this match.

Leeds are 4/11 to make it three victories in a row at Elland Road, giving the Whites an implied win probability of 73.3%, while Watford are 15/2, or an 11.8% chance, to triumph away from home for the first time since August 10 (3-2 at Millwall). The draw, meanwhile, is available at 4/1.

Both teams to score is priced at 5/6 and over 2.5 total goals at 4/7, while Piroe and Patrick Bamford (13/10) lead the anytime goalscorer market followed by teammates Joseph (11/8) and Gnonto (13/8). Bayo and Jebbison (4/1) are considered the Hornets' most likely anytime scorers.

Match Result & Total Goals Over/Under 3.5 - Leeds Win & Under 3.5 @ 23/20

It's hard to back against Leeds after seeing how comfortably they dealt with the challenge of Sheff Utd at Elland Road last week. Farke's side were easily the better team, restricting the Blades to just five shots and none on target - the first time they had failed to at least test the goalkeeper in the Championship under Wilder.

The Whites' defenders deserve some credit but there was a lot to thank the midfielders for as Tanaka and Rothwell stopped many attacks at source, while up front, Gnonto, Aaronson, Ramazani and Pireo all looked dangerous.

It was ominous watching for Watford players, who looked lethargic less than 24 hours later as they crumbled to a humiliating loss at the home of their bitter rivals, Luton. Rob Edwards' side made the Hornets, who had won two of their last three games, look extremely ordinary as they surged into an 11th-minute lead through Jordan Clark, and victory was secured for the Hatters in the second half as Carlton Morris and substitute Jacob Brown both struck past Bachmann.

Saturday's defeat means Watford are now pointless in their last four away outings having lost to Sheff Utd (1-0), Norwich City (4-1), Preston North End (3-0) and Luton since overcoming Millwall at the Den, while Manchester City also beat the Hertfordshire outfit 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium in the Carabao Cup.

Watford have scored just once on the road since netting three times at the home of the Lions and have shipped 13 goals - 11 in the league - in that period - and things don't get any easier for them on Tuesday up against a side that has already beaten Sheff Utd, Coventry City (3-0) and Hull City (2-0) in the league in West Yorkshire.

All three of Leeds' wins at Elland Road - and all five of their victories home and away - have seen under 3.5 total goals scored, while three of Watford's four league defeats - and four of their five in all competitions - have seen fewer than four strikes, so Leeds to triumph and under 3.5 goals looks like the play in this one.

Anytime Goalscorer - Largie Ramazani (LEE) @ 9/5

Farke could be tempted to rotate things on Tuesday but given the Whites played last Friday, handing them an extra day's rest compared to Watford, I think the German could name an unchanged starting XI in this one, and that would mean another start for summer signing Ramazani, who has made a great start to life in England.

The Belgian winger has struck twice already for his new club, firing the opening goal of the game in September's 2-0 win at Cardiff and netting Leeds' equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Norwich at the start of this month.

Ramazani hasn't scored since firing past Angus Gunn at Carrow Road, blanking against Sunderland and Sheff Utd, but he's looked dangerous still, shooting four times against the Black Cats and three times at home to the Blades, hitting the post with his first effort last Friday and seeing his second saved by Michael Cooper.

He might fancy his chances up against a youthful Watford right-hand side on Tuesday, with 20-year-old wing-back Ryan Andrews starting Saturday's defeat ahead of 23-year-old right-sided centre-back Matthew Pollock at Kenilworth Road.

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