Aston Villa vs Leicester City betting odds, tips and predictions

Second-placed Leicester City will be looking to maintain their rich vein of form when they face Aston Villa this Sunday in Matchweek 16 of the English Premier League season.

Brendan Rodgers’ side maintained their place in the standings with a convincing 2-0 win over bottom-placed Watford in midweek. The Foxes hold a three-point advantage over champions Manchester City and sit eight points adrift of leaders Liverpool.

MORE EPL TIPS: MANCHESTER CITY vs MANCHESTER UNITED

The victory over the Hornets also equalled the club record for consecutive wins in the top flight. Leicester have now won seven league games in a row, which marks their best effort since March 1963.

Aston Villa fell to a 2-1 defeat in their midweek trip to Stamford Bridge. The result means the Villans have won just one of their last five outings in the EPL, which leaves Dean Smith’s side 16th on the table and some 20 points behind their upcoming opponents.

Despite spending big in the last English summer after securing promotion back into the Premier League, Villa’s performances haven’t matched the financial investment. Wallowing in the bottom half of the table, it doesn’t help that they now face one of the most consistent sides in the league.

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Aston Villa team news

Full-back Frederic Guilbert looks ready to waltz back into the side having missed Wednesday’s defeat to Chelsea due to an automatic one-match suspension for picking up five yellow cards.

Goalkeeper Jed Steer remains sidelined due to a calf injury suffered during November’s defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers, while winger Anwar El Ghazi also looks set to miss Leicester’s visit having been taken off against Manchester United with a knee injury. Keinan Davis was hamstrung in the Wolves game and will also sit out.

Leicester City team news

Sunday could witness the return of defender Ben Chilwell, who missed Wednesday’s triumph over Watford with a slight hip problem, while Demarai Gray stands a good chance of featuring against Villa should he overcome the bout of flu that sidelined him for last weekend’s match against Everton.

Matty James has commenced training after recovering from a long-term Achilles problem, but Sunday’s trip to Villa Park comes too soon for the English midfielder.

Jamie Vardy odds and specials

• Vardy first goalscorer – +250 at Bovada
• Vardy to score/Leicester to win – +137

Jamie Vardy has been in scintillating form this season. The 32-year-old is the leading scorer in the Premier League on 14 goals, three goals ahead of Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham and four in front of last season’s joint Golden Boot winner Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Vardy’s strike against Watford marked seven consecutive games with his name on the score sheet, moving the striker within four games of his record-setting streak during Leicester’s successful 2015/16 Premier League campaign. Flying and firing, the former England international looks destined to continue his golden run on Sunday.

Aston Villa vs Leicester City betting predictions

Despite losing centre-back Harry Maguire to Manchester United during the last English transfer window, Leicester City boast the most impenetrable defensive line in the league. The Foxes have conceded only nine goals in 15 EPL games, all while finding the back of the net an impressive 35 times. With four clean sheets in their last five games, Leicester should cruise past the struggling Villans.

Prediction: Draw first half/Leicester City to win second half – +380 at Bovada

Aston Villa vs Leicester City recent results

Aston Villa 0-1 Leicester City (January 16, 2016)
Rudy Gestede 75’
Shinji Okazaki 28’

Leicester City 3-2 Aston Villa (September 13, 2015)
Ritchie De Laet 72’
Jamie Vardy 82’
Nathan Dyer 89’
Jack Grealish 39’
Carles Gil 63’

Leicester City 1-0 Aston Villa (January 10, 2015)
Paul Konchesky 45+1’

Aston Villa 2-1 Leicester City (December 7, 2014)
Ciaran Clark 17’
Alan Hutton 71’
Leonardo Ulloa 13’