Tottenham v Stoke: Visitors to keep up their scoring run

Tottenham v Stoke
Saturday 9 December, 15:00 GMT

Form table makes bleak reading for Spurs

There was another Champions League win for Spurs on Wednesday but the manager and the players would have traded that in for three points against Stoke in this game.

Tottenham have dropped to sixth in the Premier League following a run of four matches without a victory - two draws and two defeats - and they now trail the top four by four points.

Mauricio Pochettino could point to the fact that three of those four fixtures were away from home, but losing at Arsenal and Leicester is disappointing for various reasons, and being held at Wembley by West Brom is not good enough for a top team.

A mitigating factor for their 1-1 draw at Watford last weekend was that Davinson Sanchezsaw red just after half time, but that also means that the defender is suspended for this clash.

Danny Rose is also doubtful and as Toby Alderweireld remains sidelined, the manager still can't field his best defence. Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen will return to the team after being rested against APOEL.

Can Stoke build on Swansea win?

Stoke picked up a much needed win against Swansea last weekend and after going four without success, it was the perfect tonic for Mark Hughes. The three points moved his side up to 13th in the table and they are now nearer the top half than the relegation zone.

Conceding goals has been a real issue for The Potters this term and if you are letting Swansea score against you, you know that you need to work on the defensive side of things on the training ground.

Unfortunately for Stoke, defender, Bruno Martins Indi is facing a spell of eight weeks or so on the treatment table and it will be interesting to see if Hughes plays four at the back like he did last Saturday, or revert to a three like he's been doing in other games.

In other team news, Jese Rodriguez is unavailable, but Geoff Cameron is back in full training.

The hosts are a warm order

If you are confident that Tottenham will end their winless run then you can back them at 1.31. It's a price that is a shade too short in my opinion, but I wouldn't go as far to say that it should be opposed.

The 'Wembley hoodoo' talk appears to have died down and even though they have still only won three of their seven Premier League games there this season, all three of them have come within their four most recent outings there, and they have also beaten Dortmund, Real Madrid and APOEL in the Champions League.

However, if you do want to go against the hosts then you can get the draw at 6.40, and the away win is trading at around the 12.00 mark. Stoke have won once on their travels this season, drawing twice and losing the other four.

The victory came at Watford back in October, while the draws were against West Brom and Brighton. Obviously Spurs are a step up in opposition compared to those three, and on their last away outing they were beaten 2-1 at Selhurst Park.

Expect goals at both ends

The Betfair layers are heavily favouring Over 2.5 Goals in this market as the over is 1.59and the under is 2.64. On balance, it probably is more likely that there will be three goals or more, but I don't see any value in that price.

Spurs have played 15 times this season and nine of them have actually seen under 2.5 backers collect. Their matches are averaging 2.4 goals each time and since their 4-1 win over Liverpool, five of their next six Premier League games have all ended with the ball in the net on two occasions or fewer.

Stoke have a much higher average at the 3.2 mark, and 11 of their 15 have gone over 2.5. Only West Ham have conceded more goals than them, but they are in the top half of the standings when it comes to goals scored.

That brings Both Teams to Score heavily into the equation at a very tasty 1.96. I can't believe that it is nearly even money, when overs is so short.

I am not concerned with Stoke's ability to get an away goal as after firing a blank at Everton on the opening day of the campaign, they have since found the net in each and every single league fixture on their travels.

A further selection at a bigger price takes me to the Correct Score Market as 2-1 is available to back at 9.80 and that feels a touch overpriced to me. I can't see Tottenham giving Stoke a hammering, but I do expect them to win, with both teams scoring.

Ref Watch

The man in charge at Wembley is Roger East and a quick look at his stats this season shows that he has dished out 42 yellows and two red cards in his 11 games.

That's quite a high average, and two players to note in the first card market are Joe Allenand Jan Vertonghen as they have been booked four times each this season.

Recommended Bets
Back Both Teams to Score @ 1.96
Back Spurs to win 2-1 @ 9.80