Football odds: Premier League - Sunday preview

The Tyne-Tees derby kicks off on Sunday with Newcastle desperate to find that elusive first win under Kevin Keegan against a Middlesbrough side boosted by the signing of Afonso Alves. Click here for up to £200 free to bet on football when you join Canbet Keegan won't have expected to get anything out of his matches against Arsenal, but will be eager to get off the mark and restore his Messiah-like status with victory against the auld enemy on home soil. Recent history would suggest that there will be no winner in this game as this fixture has produced three draws in as many matches but Boro may well fancy their chances now that they have invested a reputed club record £12m on Alves. The Brazilian scored a staggering 35 goals in Holland last season - a haul that is all the more astonishing for the fact that the 27-year-old was playing not playing for one of the big three Dutch clubs but plying his trade for humble Heerenveen - and after scoring a record seven times in one match, it's a wonder more sides haven't tried to sign the prolific marksman. Tuncay Sanli (four goals), Dong-Gook Lee (two) and Jeremie Aliadiere (two) have not provided the cutting edge for Gareth Southgate's side but Alves could well take over where Mark Viduka - who will be lining up for the Magpies against his old club - left off. Newcastle showed plenty of character in both matches against Arsenal and, with Michael Owen looking a shadow of his former self, will be glad Viduka is fit again. But the Toon have too many sub-standard players in their side and as they look to take the game to Boro, who are unbeaten in five, could well be caught out on the break with the pacy Stewart Downing, Aliadiere and Alves ready to take full advantage. Later in the day (16:00 Sky Sports 1) Aston Villa travel to Fulham and can be trusted to keep the pressure on fourth-placed Everton with an away win. Villa have managed just one victory on their travels in four but two of those games were against Chelsea (4-4) and Liverpool (2-2) and the Reds only got out of jail with a last-minute leveller. Villa's youthful, fleet-footed side have been a revelation this year and the likes of undoubted future England stars Gabriel Agbonlohor and Ashley Young will have too much quality for a Fulham side that smacks of desperation following the signing of Nordic trio Jaari Litmanen, Erik Nevland and Tony Kallio and the loan arrival of Tottenham's Paul Staltieri. Verdict: 2pts Middlesbrough to bt Newcastle @ 31/10 (Canbet); 2pts Afonso Alves anytime goalscorer (Paddy Power); 3pts Villa to beat Fulham @ 5/4 (Canbet) Click here for up to £200 free to bet on football when you join Canbet