Newcastle v Tottenham: Isak to stay hot in triple Bet Builder

• Take Alexander Isak to score in a home win at 3.02/1

• Also back Isak in a Bet Builder with Harry Kane at 6.411/2

• A Cristian Romero card is a third Bet Builder option at 4.3100/30

Magpies ready to bounce back

Newcastle had a rare off day at Villa Park last weekend, losing 3-0. It represented just their fourth defeat of the season, three fewer than Manchester United who they lost third place to.

Thankfully for the Magpies, Spurs didn't make any ground on them after suffering their own reverse so, with eight games to go, Newcastle's European destiny is still very much in their own hands.

And Europe in this case could be the biggest prize of all: a Champions League place. It's a golden chance for Newcastle to get a seat at the top table and that's reflected in their exchange quote of 1.412/5 for a Top 4 Finish.

With no Cup involvements - Newcastle's last non-Premier League fixture was an EFL Cup tie on February 26 - the hosts have had no other distractions and Howe has pretty much a full hand to play.

The only notable loss is Allan Saint-Maximin, who remains out with a hamstring injury, although long gone are the days when the Frenchman seemed to be the only Newcastle player who could get the crowd going.

Five of Newcastle's final eight games, starting with this one, are at St James' Park which is also in their favour. Also to head north are Southampton, Arsenal, Brighton and Leicester.

Troubles following Tottenham around

Tottenham's Premier League position compared to all the shenanigans going on at the club don't quite seem to tally.

An unhappy Antonio Conte appeared to orchestrate his own exit; former assistant Christian Stellini has done nothing to win hearts and minds with the Spurs faithful; and Fabio Paratici resigned as the managing director of football after losing an appeal against his 30-month ban from the game for his role in alleged false accounting.

And yet despite all this and losing at home to Bournemouth last weekend, Tottenham are still somehow fifth. Victory here would pull them level with Newcastle and yet one of these teams is meant to be having a dream season and the other a disastrous one.

While 10 defeats is a hefty number for a team in fifth place, Spurs owe their high position to winning games rather than drawing them. Their tally of 16 W's is one more than Newcastle's.

But with just two wins in their last eight matches in all competitions, there's certainly a feeling that momentum is leaving them at just the wrong time.

A 3-2 home defeat to Bournemouth last weekend followed a 1-1 draw at Everton. The month of April has not been a good one for Tottenham.

Hosts look deserved favourites

Newcastle have lost just a single home game this season: a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool when they had goalkeeper Nick Pope sent off midway through the first half.

They've beaten Wolves and Manchester United in their two home matches since and are odds-on to record a third straight victory at St James' Park.

The market shows Newcastle at 1.8910/11 while Tottenham are 4.57/2 and The Draw 3.953/1.

Tottenham have managed just five away wins out of 15 in the Premier League and their recent road form is even less inspiring. Starting with a 4-1 defeat at Leicester in early Feburary, they've lost four and drawn two of their last six away fixtures in all comps.

There looks to be only one winner here and it's the team in black and white stripes. But I'll find other ways to support Howe's side.

Isak and Kane can strike on Bet Builder

The best hope for Spurs lies with the familiar double act of Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son.

Kane's Premier League tally of 23 goals would be getting far more attention were it not for Erling Haaland's ridiculous numbers while Son, who netted a brace for South Korea in late March, has struck in Tottenham's last two games and in three of the last five.

In addition, Kane has scored six times at St James' Park down the years so it's a ground he likes.

For Newcastle, Alexander Isak is flourishing after having his debut season interrupted by injury. The Swede drew a blank at Villa but had scored five in five prior to that.

I'll use that info to play a couple of Bet Builders.

The first is the simple option of backing Isak to score and Newcastle to win at 3.02/1.

Kane scored the Spurs goal when Newcastle beat them at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier in the season and he may well net in a losing cause again.

But I'll focus on the two main strikers and back Isak and Kane both to score in a Bet Builder at 6.411/2.

Romero ripe for card bet

Looking at the bookings market and Cristian Romero deserves to be firmly in the crosshairs.

The Argentine is a walking yellow card. He's been booked in 11 of his last 20 matches for club and country and also picked up a couple of reds in that time.

Using a relevant filter, Romero has been booked in four of his last six away games for Tottenham so is worth a look at 7/5 to have his name taken again.

David Coote is the referee and the only time he took charge of a game involving Romero... yep, he showed the defender a yellow card.

Romero to be booked in a Newcastle win is 4.3100/30 on the Bet Builder.

Opta stat

Alexander Isak has scored five goals in his last six league games for Newcastle. He's averaging a goal every 113 minutes in the Premier League this season, second only to Erling Haaland (one every 70) among players to score at least five times this term.