Newcastle go to the City Ground on the back of their win against Arsenal a week ago.
Howe said, "Yeah, they are (having a great season). Nuno deserves credit for the job he has done. They have recruited very well in recent transfer windows. They've added some really good players to their squad. They have a way of playing that really works for them.
"They are very tough to play against. What a test that's going to pose to us to score against them. They have a solid defensive base, really good pace in wide areas and threats in the forward positions.
"We are looking at improvements this year. Consistency is a big, big word for us. Not the most interesting response, I know, but these are the things that we judge ourselves by.
"I think, if we can find that ability to win games and put a sequence of results together, the Premier League is so tight, it can really change the feeling."