The run up to the end of the Premier League season is giving Spurs fans some heady moments as the team seems on the brink of casting off its moniker as an attractive side to watch, but with no staying power. Currently sitting in third place at the top of the table, behind the two powerhouse Manchester clubs and above their arch north London rivals Arsenal, Spurs have provided a season-long package of surprises.
At the beginning of the season, bookmakers were laying odds of 40/1 and 50/1 against Spurs winning the Premier League title outright, and a £25 bet placed then could rake in £1,025 if the team achieved its first top-flight trophy since 1961. Tottenham’s great season saw those odds fall sharply, before rising back up to the original starting price, after their disappointing performance against Arsenal last week. A win on Sunday against Manchester United, would surely see those odds drop again, so there may be some value in backing Spurs for the title.
Betting on Spurs’ goal scoring exploits at the season start might have seemed risky given the team’s apparent lack of firepower up front, but the inspired signing of Emmanuel Adebayor on loan from Manchester City has led to 11 league goals for the striker so far, with Bale on ten, Jermain Defoe on eight and Rafael van der Vaart on seven. A bet on any of their end of season tallies could still make some good money.
Another bet to consider is if Spurs will turn out to be the top London club at the end of the season, whether or not the title comes to White Hart Lane. With Arsenal and Chelsea the usual shoo-ins for the top four places, their seasons have had major ups and downs, leaving both chasing Spurs and looking to overtake in the closing weeks. Both teams are seven points shy of Spurs’ current tally of 53 points, despite Arsenal’s recent thumping of their derby rivals 5-2. Tottenham are currently priced around the 2/1 on mark in this market.
At the moment the FA Cup looks a good bet for Spurs, with odds available of 5/2 to win the Cup Final despite an imminent fifth round replay with minnows Stevenage, and a Party Poker bonus code could offer up some free cash to get a bet down. Tottenham are joint favourites to win the competition with Liverpool and with home ties against Stevenage and Bolton the only obstacles between Spurs and the semi-finals, Harry Redknapp’s team could reach their first FA Cup final since their triumph in 1991.
