Newcastle Red Bulls vs Bristol Prediction: Visitors to maintain top-four charge

Bristol Bears will look to improve their chances of a top-four finish in the Gallagher Premiership when they face Newcastle Red Bulls at Kingston Park on Friday night (19:45 BST, TNT Sports 1). After a torrid few weeks, the Bears returned to winning ways last week as they beat Gloucester 53-12, while Newcastle came unstuck once again as they fell to a 62-3 defeat against Leicester Tigers.

Bristol ran out 36-27 winners in the last meeting between the two sides in December but Friday's showdown should be a lot more straightforward. Read on for my Newcastle Red Bulls vs Bristol predictions...

Newcastle Red Bulls vs Bristol Odds

Newcastle are 17/2 to win on home soil, with the draw 28/1 and Bristol 1/20 to secure the victory.

Bristol are 5/6 to cover the -20 handicap, while they are 4/5 to cover the -9.5 first-half handicap.

Team News

Newcastle fly-half Brett Connon will return for this clash and full-back Josh Hodge will start his first home game for the Red Bulls.

Murray McCallum and Adam Brocklebank both return to start at prop, while lock Finn Baker makes his first league start. Back-rower Amanaki Mafi is fit enough to return to the bench.

Newcastle XV: Hodge; Wade, Hearle, Beeckmans, Obatoyinbo; Connon, Elliott; Brocklebank, Fletcher, McCallum; Hodgson, Baker, Clarke, Christie (c), Parsons.

Replacements: Adejimi, Rewcastle, Palframan, Hawkins, Mafi, Stuart, Healy, Bolam.

Bristol's Matias Moroni has been named at outside centre, with Benhard Janse van Rensburg switching to No.12. At scrum-half, Harry Randall comes in to partner Tom Jordan in the halves.

Noah Heward gets a start on the wing while Pat Lam names an unchanged pack from the side that beat Gloucester.

Bristol XV: Lane; Heward, Moroni, Janse van Rensburg, Ibitoye; Jordan, Randall; Genge, Oghre, Kloska; Dun, Batley, Owen, Harding (c), Grondona.

Replacements: Thacker, Woolmore, Lahiff, Taylor, Cripps, Wolstenholme, Williams, Ravouvou.

Bristol Bears -20 @ 5/6

Before their 53-12 success over Gloucester, Bristol had lost seven games in a row in all competitions. Remarkably, in the Prem, they are still within touching distance of the top four and are only four points behind the fourth-placed Exeter Chiefs.

The Bears have struggled on the road of late, losing their last three in all competitions, but they will get no easier assignment than a trip to Kingston Park.

Newcastle have lost 10 games in a row and their 62-3 defeat to Leicester last weekend was another alarming development in their disappointing season.

The Red Bulls have conceded at least 26 points in their last four home games and they have lost the last six meetings against Bristol.

Bristol winger Kalaveti Ravouvou is hitting his stride at the right time, having scored 10 tries this season in the Prem. He has scored three of those tries in his last two appearances and his influence out wide could be felt once again.

Bristol simply have too much quality across the park for Newcastle, who are searching for just their second league win of the season and could be in for another heavy loss.

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