Spurs can close gap to four
Tottenham hot-favourites to beat Cherries
The curtain goes up on the weekend Premier League show at White Hart Lane where Tottenham lay out the red carpet for opponents Bournemouth in an intriguing 12.30pm start, live on Sky Sports. On paper, not the standout fixture of the round, but when we remember Spurs could cut the lead at the top to just four points with a win, punters are sure to sit up and take note.
League leaders Chelsea aren’t out until Sunday, and could do without the added pressure of a title race as they go into the lion’s den to face Jose Mourinho’s Man United. Coral traders have written The Blues off as 15/8 second favourites in Manchester, making this a must-win for Pochettino and co.
Spurs sticking to their task
Spurs just refuse to take the hint, they have been given hope, and had it cruelly snatched away already this season, but regardless of what Chelsea have done, their rivals over in north London have stuck to their task and go into game 32 with a season CV reading 20 wins, eight draws and three defeats. They’ve lost the fewest number of games in the league this season, joint with Man Utd on three, meaning drawn matches have cost them dear.
They line-up for Saturday’s test on the back of a six-match winning run, since going down 2-0 to Liverpool two months ago. What makes that all the more impressive is they have achieved the bulk of that work without leading scorer Harry Kane, who has been out injured. To add confidence, it’s worth remembering the home side are unbeaten at this venue all season, and have already claimed some major scalps in 2017, including Chelsea 2-0, Everton 3-2 and Southampton 2-1.
Tottenham were last seen hammering Watford 4-0, thanks to goals from Alli, Dier and a Heung-min double. Followers of the stats will be quick to remind us that Spurs won 3-0 when last hosting The Cherries, and another local win to nil is sure to attract attention in the pre-match betting, with Coral handing out a cracking 5/4, value when put alongside their match win price of 1/4.
Form suggests Cherries will score
Bournemouth aren’t expected to get anything out of the afternoon, and our football guys are willing to meet supporters of the away day head-on, giving out as much 10/1 as you can carry. That’s a bold statement, but The Cherries were brushed aside by Chelsea a week ago, going down 3-1 at Dean Court. Smith knocked the ball into his own net to give Conte’s crew the lead on 17-minutes, before Hazard and Alonso chipped in.
There was more bad news for Eddie Howe in the build-up to this one, with Harry Kane expected to return, and he’s 11/4 to mark his comeback with the first goal, while Bournemouth should be without Dan Gosling, who continues his rehabilitation. Away fans can take heart from the trends this season and although Bournemouth have not been winning many on the road, they have been snatching goals. That pushes us towards a play on both teams to score and Tottenham to win at 31/20.
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