Champions League Betting: Tottenham Hotspur v Young Boys

Champions League / Dan Fitch / 24 August 2010 / 1 Comments

Can Huddlestone assert his control against Young Boys once more?

"With Young Boys likely to be defensive and Spurs knowing that a 1-0 victory would see them through, I think that unders represents good value."

Tottenham Hotspur need to overcome a deficit to beat Young Boys and book a place in the Champions League group stage. Dan 'The Betting Man' Fitch expects a tight Spurs victory. Best Bet: Back under 3.5 goals @ [1.75].

Venue: White Hart Lane
Kick-Off/TV: Monday 20:00, live on ITV1

Terry Venables once co-authored a novel about football called 'They Used To Play On Grass' and luckily for Spurs, they still do use the natural green stuff at White Hart Lane.

Spurs' first leg defeat can't be solely attributed to Young Boys' plastic pitch, but Tottenham's sluggish start to the match was definitely influenced by the fact that they were struggling to get to grips with the surface.

Once they settled down and introduced Tom Huddlestone , Spurs started to controlling the tempo of the game, eventually enjoying the greater possession and creating more chances. Though Young Boys could have easily made it 4-1 as they hit Spurs on the break, 3-2 was probably a fair reflection on the game.

Though Tottenham will gain heart from the fact that they were bossing the match, they still have a deficit to pull back and could be hampered by injuries to their forwards. Peter Crouch was their only available striker against Stoke and Jermain Defoe remains a doubt.

Ledley King will return to the centre of defence after being rested at the weekend though and Luka Modric could also figure having been substituted with an injury in the first leg. For Young Boys, Hassan Lingani and Emiliano Ariel Dudar are both out.

Match Odds: Tottenham [1.25], Young Boys [17.0], the draw [6.8].

Though I think that Spurs should win quite comfortably, there's no value in the [1.25] on offer. On a number of occasions last season they were frustrated at home against opposition such as Hull, Stoke and Wolves, who were willing to defend in numbers at White Hart Lane and with Young Boys protecting a lead, they may well make things difficult for Tottenham.

Over/Under 2.5 goals

Over 2.5 goals is the favourite at [1.53], with unders at [2.8]. Though there were five goals scored in the first leg, I don't think that these odds are weighted correctly. Young Boys have only broken the 2.5 goals barrier in four of their nine matches this season.

We all know that Spurs have goals in them, but it doesn't seem that Harry Redknapp really knows what his best strike force is, with Defoe out of form. As Young Boys are likely to be defensive and Spurs know that a 1-0 victory would see them through, I think that unders represents good value. In terms of a recommendation though, I will play it safe and tip under 3.5 goals at [1.75], with overs at [2.28].

Correct Score

Having spoken of Spurs' inability to break down dogged defences last season and taking into account their recent goalless draw with Manchester City, the 0-0 looks very big at [26.0], though I'd recommend it as a bet that will represent an opportunity to trade, rather than one that is likely to pay out as a winner in itself.

Tottenham often frustrate by doing things in the hardest fashion possible, so I also like 1-0 to Spurs at [10.5], which you might want to combine with 2-0 at [7.4].

Asian Handicap Betting

Spurs can go through with either a 1-0 or 2-1 victory, so I think that there is value to be had in the Asian Handicap bet of Young Boys +1.5 and +2.0 at [1.96].

If Spurs do not win by two or more goals, then you win the bet. If they win by exactly two goals then you get half of your stake returned and if they win by three or more than you lose the whole bet.

Best Bet: Back under 3.5 goals @ [1.75].
Recommended Bets: Back 1-0 Spurs at [10.5] and Young Boys +1.5 and +2.0 at [1.96].

Comments (1)

1. will | 26 August 2010

   Spot on!!!