Clear Brighton threat identified but confidence in Leeds United with bookies forecasting top-half finish

Seagulls top scorer Maupay is the general second favourite to score first and no bigger than 6-1 with Whites no 9 Patrick Bamford the market leader and a best price of 4s.

Fresh from his Leeds debut against Crawley Town, Academy star Sam Greenwood is intriguingly high in the first scorer market and only third favourite with 6s the best on offer.

Rodrigo is then 15-2 to net first, followed by Brighton's Andi Zeqiri (43-5), United duo Tyler Roberts and Pablo Hernandez (both 9s) and also Seagulls striker Percy Tau (9s).

Whites winger Raphinha is 10s to net first with both Helder Costa and Mateusz Klich 11s and both Brighton's Leandro Trossard and United's Jack Harrison looking a tad overpriced at 11s and 12s respectively.

Against the club whom he helped to the Championship title, Brighton's former Whites loanee Ben White is 50-1 to net first and 16-1 as an any time scorer.

Comparatively, Bamford is only a best priced 13-10 to net any time at all.

Brighton are far from written off with Graham Potter's fourth-bottom side only 12-5 for a victory and the draw is 11-4 but 12th-placed Leeds are hovering around the even money mark and a best priced 13-10.

A 1-1 draw is actually favourite in the correct score market at 37-5, followed by a 2-1 Whites triumph at 9s, a 1-0 Leeds win at 23-2 and only then a 2-1 Brighton verdict at 25-2.

The Seagulls have not won in nine league games - drawing five - yet the bookies are backing Brighton to stay up with Graham Potter's side sixth favourites to go down and as big as 18-5.

The oddsmakers think Sheffield United are already gone at 1-11 with West Brom also long odds on at 1-6 for the dreaded drop.

Fulham are 11-10 to go down with Burnley 10-3 and Newcastle United only 7-2, just ahead of Brighton in the relegation betting market.

Crystal Palace are then 35-2, after which there is a huge gap to Leeds who are as big as 40-1 to be relegated with seven teams rated far more likely.

Moreover, the Whites are tenth in the list for a top-half finish at 9-4 and a win against the Seagulls would likely see them odds shorten some more.

https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/marcelo-bielsa-leeds-uniteds-love-ben-white-and-brighton-warning-ahead-third-battle-graham-potter-3102164

https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/yorkshire-evening-post-launch-leeds-united-only-digital-subscription-ahead-premier-league-campaign-2967964

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Thank you Laura Collins