Depleted Newcastle did well to come back from a goal down to snare a point at Burnley in midweek, but bookies think the Magpies are up against it as they welcome Premier League leaders Chelsea to St James’ Park.

Alan Pardew’s troops start as BetVictor’s 13/2 underdogs to inflict a first defeat of the campaign on the Blues, Stan James’s 4/7 favourites and it’s 10/3 to finish all square.

United will have watched with interest as Sunderland held Jose Mourinho’s men last weekend and Newcastle are 10/1 at William Hill to follow the Black Cats’ lead by ensuring the contest ends goalless.

Home supporters will back their team, but some will exercise caution by either siding with them at 7/5 (Ladbrokes) to avoid defeat or heading to betway’s ‘Draw No Bet’ market, where Newcastle are a 4/1 chance.

The more optimistic, however, will note that the Magpies beat Chelsea in last season’s corresponding fixture so there could be money for Stan James’s 15/2 about a United triumph by a one-goal margin.

More accurately, Winner.com chalk Pardew’s charges up at 18/1 to edge it 2-1, bet365 offer 12/1 about Newcastle holding a lead at both the break and full-time and Stan James mark 12/1 against Tuesday’s scorer Papiss Cisse grabbing the opening goal.

Sunderland’s trip to Liverpool caps a fiendish run of fixtures that will have seen the Black Cats face four of last season’s top five in the space of a handful of games.

Understandably, Gus Poyet’s men are winless in that sequence but they’ve shared the spoils in three of the four and are 10/3 via bet365 to collect another point at Anfield.

A goalless encounter is a 10/1 chance at Stan James while those fancying a score draw (5/1, bet365) can opt for betway’s 7/1 about a 1-1 scoreline in a match that looks decent value at 21/20 with Winner.com to produce fewer than three goals.

Understandably, the hosts command favouritism at 6/10 (William Hill), a Sunderland success is available at 6/1 with BetVictor and as outsiders, the Black Cats are given a goal start in Ladbrokes’s handicaps at odds of 11/8.

Alternatively, bet365 quote Poyet’s team at 4/1 in the ‘Draw No Bet’ market but for those eternal optimists steadfast in their belief that Sunderland can plunder a maximum haul on Merseyside some huge odds are available.

Stan James chalk the Black Cats up at 8/1 to shade it by a solitary goal, BetVictor mark 21/1 against a 1-0 away success and it’s 9/1 courtesy of Paddy Power for Connor Wickham to net first.

Despite being pegged back by a late Blackburn leveller at the Riverside last weekend, Middlesbrough head to Millwall as Stan James’s 13/10 favourites while the Lions are 12/5 courtesy of BetVictor and Aitor Karanka’s troops are 12/5 (Skybet) to again draw.

Another 1-1 scoreline comes in at 6/1 via BetVictor, Ladbrokes mark 7/2 against a score draw and in bet365’s ‘Draw No Bet’ market, Boro are rated at 8/13.

The freefalling hosts, however, have won just one of their last 14 matches so there’s no reason Middlesbrough won’t be in confident mood at the New Den, where they’re 13/2 (William Hill) to sneak it 1-0 and 14/5 at Stan James to prevail by a solitary goal.

Travelling fans can also back their team at 11/4 via betway to lead at both the break and full-time and in attack, bet365 price Patrick Bamford at 13/2 to again break the deadlock. The same firm chalk the on-loan front man up at 9/4 to notch at any stage.

Odds supplied by www.betrescue.com

Offer of the week: Open an account with betway.com via betrescue and claim £50 in free bets. See betrescue.com/freebets for details.