Premier League betting – Spurs v West Ham

Spurs v West Ham betting odds, tips & free bets

Tottenham Hotspurs: League Position: 5th, League Form: WWWLD

Ten days since their 0-0 draw with AC Milan that put them into the last eight of the Champions League Tottenham return rested to the Premier League. This has given them a chance to prepare Gareth Bale’s fitness, and the rest may give injury doubts Gallas, King and Van Der Vaart a higher chance to return.

Having floundered lately in the league, Spurs need to get back on track if they are to claim a Champions League spot for a second season in a row. They have drawn too many games at home, the most of the top five (five draws) and also won the least home games of the top five.

Coming into a game against a relegation threatened team, you look at their ability to score goals as a basis of strength. Bale, Lennon and Modric create in midfield and if Van Der Vaart is unfit then Crouch, Pavlyuchenko and Defoe have either scored in recent games, both Defoe and Pavlyuchenko netted in their last league game, or looked dangerous all season. Yet Tottenham have been by all their Champions League place rivals, and maintained similar levels of defence. They choose their games to attack.

West Ham United: League Position: 18th, League Form: WLDWW

West Ham fans must have been feeling bleak in January, with the manager looking on his way out and their side propping up the league. Now the team are looking dangerous, scoring three goals on four occasions in their five last games.

Although defeated last weekend in the FA Cup, their two key strikers were rested, and Piquonne and Demba Ba will more than likely both return to the starting line-up. The latter has scored four goals in three starts, adding a new dimension to the sides play.

With Hitzlsperger finally coming into their midfield, the balance there has given a support to the talismanic Scott Parker, a midfielder finally being recognised as one of the finest in the country.

The weakness is defence however. They have conceded 49 goals, and there is a feeling that an electric attacking performance against them will brush them aside. Have they faced any teams playing well? West Brom, Blackpool and Stoke were all in a poor run of form, whilst Liverpool played quite awfully. With a struggle for points still ahead of them, they can only hope it’s the quality of their performances that has won them points.

Match Prediction: Tottenham Win – 1.57 Bet 365

Tottenham may be the only top five side West Ham have taken points from this season, but Tottenham’s reasonable home form, only one defeat (and that back in August), combined with West Ham’s poor away record, two wins this season, points to a positive result for Spurs.

West Ham are notably at their weakest in defence, although goalkeeper Robert Green is underappreciated outside of Upton Park considering his weekly heroics for this side. Tottenham are strongest in attack, even if they have scored fewer this year than people realise (41, four less than Manchester City) they do like to go forward, and even in their 3-1 defeat at Blackpool they could have hit six. The away side have also found reward with an attacking style recently, playing with three strikers against Stoke last time in the Premiership, and this could play into the hands of Harry Redknapp’s side.

Jermain Defoe returned to form sensationally at Wolves in their last league fixture, and does enjoy playing his old sides. For West Ham, it’s hard to ignore the in form Demba Ba, labelled as their saviour in the relegation battle.

If recent performances are anything to go by we’re in for goals, and an extremely open and exciting game.

Highlighted Bets:-

Over/Under: Over 2.5 Goals – 1.73 – Bet 365
First Goalscorer: Jermain Defoe – 6.00 Sky Bet
Correct Score: 3-2 Tottenham Win – 29.00 Stan James
Both Teams to Score – 1.83 Victor Chandler
To Score Anytime: Demba Ba – 3.75 William Hill

By Chris Wilkerson

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