Sunderland vs Newcastle Bet Builder Tips: 17/2 #PickYourPunt for this Tyne-Wear derby

As soon as the FA Cup third-round draw was made there was one fixture that stood out above the rest. Of course we are referring to the Tyne-Wear derby as Sunderland welcome Newcastle United to the Stadium of Light on Saturday afternoon (12:45) in the first meeting between these two sides since 2016. 

Plenty has happened to both of these clubs since then. Newcastle were relegated to the Championship and then returned to the Premier League. They have since been taken over by a Saudi Arabian-backed consortium and found their way back into the Champions League.

Sunderland have dropped to the second tier themselves, which was quickly followed up by a relegation to League One, in which they stayed for four years before a play-off final victory at Wembley saw them find their way back into the Championship. Upon their return, they made it two play-off campaigns in a row last season as they made the step back up with ease.

Both sets of fans will feel that a lifetime has passed since this fixture was last played and they will both be equally excited and terrified for Saturday's clash because precious, and currently rare bragging rights are at stake.

If you are tempted to have a dabble on a bet for this derby match, we have put together an intriguing 17/2 bet builder for you to consider.

Alexander Isak and Jack Clarke to score anytime

This huge derby has such a rich history and the record currently stands at 53 wins apiece for both these sides. Both camps will be well aware of this heading into the weekend and they will know that in this particular battle that there is a little more on offer than the traditional bragging rights.

One of them can say they boast the most derby victories with a win at the Stadium of Light, and both clubs will believe it can be them.

In a game with so much riding it on it, both sides are going to be heavily reliant on their star quality and we fancy this quality to shine through on the pitch. Alexander Isak is one of Newcastle's best players, and rightly so because he is an excellent finisher, not to mention that he is tidy with the ball at his feet too.

The Sweden international has scored 11 in all competitions this term and if you give him a sight of goal, he is very likely going to find the back of the net. This was evidenced in his last outing against Liverpool. He wasn't presented with many opportunities at Anfield but took the chance that did come his way. We expect him to thrive on the derby atmosphere in Sunderland and put a smile on the visitors' faces.

He is not the only player we fancy to score in this one, we are also backing Sunderland talisman Jack Clarke to get on the scoresheet. Like Isak is for Newcastle, Clarke is one of, if not the Black Cats' best player. His goal returns in the Championship this term have been phenomenal with 12 goals in 26 appearances.

The winger is one of the best players in his division and he will be looking forward to have a go at his team's greatest rivals, who have not been in great form over the past month.

Over 2.5 corners each team

The fact that this derby hasn't been played since 2016 means that there is extra excitement surrounding this latest chapter of this historic rivalry. Both sets of players and fans will be well up for the match and there should be an intoxicating atmosphere at the Stadium of Light this Saturday lunchtime.

We are expecting this to have a direct impact on the pitch and hopefully lead to a frantic end-to-end contest with a whole host of chances at both ends. That's why we are confident in both teams getting at least three corners each during the game.

This has also been selected due to both sides having had questions raised over their defences at times this season, particularly Newcastle, whose defensive solidity that was so effective in them finishing in the top four last year, has evaporated.

And as we always tend to see in derby fixtures, particularly ones that haven't been played in a long time, passion tends to rule. This means that players will sometimes let their heart rule their heads and this can lead to mistakes, so keep an eye out for those at the weekend.

Over 3.5 goals

This leads directly into our next leg. When there are the nerves of playing in such a big fixture, mistakes can be rife, particularly as the visiting side on derby day. But both these outfits have a handful of players among their ranks who can score goals, and we believe that they can deliver a goal-fest this weekend.

Alongside Clarke, Sunderland players Dan Neil and Jobe Bellingham have been on the scoresheet on multiple occasions this term. Not as prolifically as the wide man but they are all intelligent in getting in good positions to score goals, which we are likely to see against Newcastle.

Isak will be relied upon for the main source of goals on Wearside but he will be supported by Anthony Gordon and Miguel Almiron, who are no strangers to getting on the scoresheet.

The Black Cats have been involved in six games this term which has seen at least four goals scored. Newcastle, on the other hand, have seen at least four goals scored in 11 of their matches across all competitions this term.

We fancy these two great rivals to deliver a four-goal display for us on Saturday, something which hasn't been seen in this fixture since 2010.