Leicester v Crystal Palace predictions: Foxes can continue Champions League push

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Leicester v Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Monday.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Premier League & Main Event, 8pm Monday

Best bet

Leicester to win & over 2.5 goals
1pt 6-4 bet365, Paddy Power

Team news

Leicester
James Maddison is close to full fitness, but James Justin and Harvey Barnes remain sidelined. Wes Morgan is dealing with a back problem.

Crystal Palace
Mamadou Sakho, Jeffrey Schlupp and James Tomkins are back in training but may not start. James McArthur, Connor Wickham and Nathan Ferguson are all out, but Gary Cahill is hoping to overcome a minor knock to feature.

Match preview

Earlier this month Leicester City looked at risk of dropping out of the Champions League places but there is a good feeling around the club once again after their success in reaching the FA Cup final and they can get the better of Crystal Palace on Monday evening.

History looked as though it may repeat itself when the Foxes lost to Manchester City and West Ham in quick succession at the start of the month, suggesting they could yet again be running out of steam in the season's closing stages.

But victory over Southampton in a cagey FA Cup semi-final affair at Wembley last week was swiftly followed by a comfortable 3-0 defeat of a West Brom side who are fighting for their lives in the Premier League.

Leicester played with swagger on that occasion, seeing 73 per cent of the ball, managing 17 shots and limiting the Baggies to only one effort on target.

One of the biggest plus points for manager Brendan Rodgers was Jamie Vardy getting on the scoresheet for the first time in 11 matches.

And should the Englishman continue to find the net, the Foxes could have a ruthless attacking combination on their hands with fellow forward Kelechi Iheanacho having fired 11 goals in his side's last eight matches.

Iheanacho's latest strike also came against the Baggies and key creative outlet James Maddison also returning to full fitness, Leicester could be problematic in the final third for Crystal Palace.

Roy Hodgson's men have been difficult to pin down this season with a 10-8-13 win-draw-loss record in the top flight and they are one of a handful of sides with little left to play for as the season draws to a close.

It does not always influence a result but incentive has to be factored in to the remaining Premier League games this season and Leicester are the side with more riding on this match.

Palace have managed only one win in their last six league fixtures and offered little in their latest defeat - a 4-1 loss to Chelsea - in which they managed only one shot in the entire match.

More than two weeks have passed since Palace's last fixture, though, and that rest coupled with their fairly safe position in the standings could result in a more expansive approach at the King Power Stadium.

And even if the Eagles do not improve in the final third, seven of Leicester's last eight wins have featured at least three goals so a bet on the hosts to win and over 2.5 goals looks a decent selection.

Key stat

Leicester's Premier League matches have featured an average of 2.97 goals per game this season.

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