Leicester vs Brentford: Predictions and three best bets for Friday clash

Leicester and Brentford lock horns on Friday night in what is an intriguing opening contest of Matchday 26 in the Premier League.

Odds Now's Matt Hill (@Matt_Hill93) runs his eye over the clash and picks out three best bets, which can also be combined into a 20/1 Bet Builder with Bet365.

Leicester vs Brentford analysis – Bees the form pick

It’s not often a team can take encouragement from a fifth straight home defeat, yet Leicester fans can be permitted some upbeat vibes following last week’s 2-0 loss to Arsenal. 

It took two late Mikel Merino strikes for the title-chasing Gunners to overcome their stubborn hosts and while it was another ultimately fruitless afternoon for the Foxes, they still finished the weekend within two points of 17th-placed Wolves.

The size of that gap means survival is still firmly within reach, though that is where the positivity ends for me, I'm afraid. 

Ruud van Nistelrooy’s men have now lost nine of their last 10 Premier League fixtures, failing to score in seven of those – including all five of their home contests in that run.

That doesn’t exactly fill you with confidence as they prepare to welcome rejuvenated travellers Brentford to the King Power Stadium.

✅ Southampton
✅ Crystal Palace
✅ West Ham United

3️⃣ consecutive away wins for the first time in our @premierleague history 💪 pic.twitter.com/CZvDfKTkxr

— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) February 15, 2025

The Bees made a strong start to the 2024-25 campaign despite an abysmal away record, thanks to some of the best home form in Europe. 

Thomas Frank’s men won seven of their first eight games at the G-Tech this term, drawing the other – a truly remarkable run which was very much required to balance out one miserly point accrued from the same amount of road trips.

However, nobody could have forecasted how brutally those trends would reverse. 

Brentford are now winless in five home contests, losing four of them. Yet in an almost poetic piece of symmetry, they have entered beast mode away from home, taking 10 points from their last four including three straight victories.

It’s enough to leave their Danish coach scratching his head in disbelief. Sometimes though, it’s best not to question things and just let nature take its course – like tonight, for example.

Best bets for Leicester vs Brentford on Friday, February 21, 2025

Selection #1 - Brentford to win - EVS

We could sit here and try to dissect exactly why Brentford have suddenly flipped from incredibly bad to inspired on their travels, but it’s probably quite simple.

They have played three bottom-half sides in Southampton, Crystal Palace and West Ham. They have beaten them fair and square with efficient performances, comfortably winning the xG battle on each occasion.

Will this run last when they play some of the division’s leading lights? Probably not. But they only have to repeat the trick here against arguably the worst home side in the division.

A quote of EVS on the Bees to prevail here looks more than fair.

Selection #2 - Kevin Schade to score anytime - 11/4

German forward Schade became Brentford’s record signing in the summer of 2023 but there’s still a few question marks hanging over the £22million man currently.

Bees fans have questioned his end product at times – with no goal in his first 12 league outings this term making that a completely reasonable concern.

But the 23-year-old has found his killer touch in more recent times, with seven strikes in his last 13 top-flight appearances evidence of significantly increased confidence in terms of chance conversion.

The match-winning moment 😁

Number 7️⃣ in the league for @kevinschade_ pic.twitter.com/UQSid9ISxa

— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) February 15, 2025

This prolific run started with a November hat-trick against tonight’s opponents and, given he has also netted in each of his side’s three recent away wins, there’s ample reason to think he’ll be among the goals again here.

His raw pace caused the Foxes all kinds of issues in the reverse fixture and 11/4 quotes with Bet365 about another Schade goal feel a bit too big, all things considered.

Selection #3 - Caleb Okoli over 1.5 fouls - 16/5

No Leicester player could really complain about losing their starting place in recent times and Van Nistelrooy has rung a few changes in recent weeks, including the re-introduction of Okoli into the centre of defence.

The 23-year-old Italian joined from Atalanta last summer but was dropped in November by ex-boss Steve Cooper, restricted to just a handful of late cameos until this month.

While looking more assured than many of his peers, Okoli does seem to love a foul. He committed three last time out against Arsenal, two in a heartbreaking FA Cup loss to Manchester United before that and even managed to sneak one into a 30-minute substitute appearance against Everton. 

That equates to a foul every 35 minutes this month, which makes the whopping 16/5 on him committing over 1.5 fouls against a speedy Brentford forward line tonight seem outrageous value.

Heck, I wouldn’t even put you off a small stake on the over 2.5 fouls line at 12/1 either. He covered it last time out.

Matt Hill’s best bets for Leicester vs Brentford 

1pt - Brentford to win - EVS (general)

0.5pt - Kevin Schade anytime goalscorer - 11/4 (Bet365)

0.5pt - Caleb Okoli over 1.5 fouls - 16/5 (Betfair)

Check out the latest episode of the Premier League Betting Show below!