Marseille v Spurs: Visitors' class will get them through

• Ligue 1 hosts in dreadful form
• Spurs' experience should be key
• Draw No Bet the smart selection
• Money back as a free bet on the Exchange if no goals are scored in the opening 45 minutes!

Marseille v Tottenham
Tue, 20:00 GMT
Live on BT Sport 2

Spurs need only a draw to qualify

Tottenham are a smart pick to avoid defeat when they travel to Stade Velodrome for this crucial Champions League clash against Marseille.

The Ligue 1 hosts - currently bottom of the Group D standings - need a win to make the knockout phase while Antonio Conte's visitors can qualify for the Round of 16 by simply avoiding defeat (although they will have one eye on winning as victory would guarantee them top spot).

Marseille are 3.185/40 to get the win they need, while Tottenham are 2.56/4 and The Draw is 3.613/5.

Hosts in dreadful form

At those prices, the value would appear to lie with the Premier League visitors. Some Tottenham supporters may have complaints about some of their side's performances this season - and some of those complaints may be legitimate - but there are several reasons why the North London outfit are worth supporting on Tuesday night.

Many of those reasons revolve around Marseille. Igor Tudor's players started the season brightly but go into this game in poor form and that is likely to have a bearing on proceedings.

L'OM have failed to win any of their last four league matches, picking up just one point (W0-D1-L3) during this dismal run. Several of the players that started the season strongly - such as left-wing-back Nuno Tavares, on loan from Tottenham's North London rivals Arsenal - have lost their way.

Marseille's home form is also a concern. They've won just one of their last four home matches (W1-D1-L2) in all competitions, and that sole victory - vs Sporting (4-1) in the Champions League - occurred behind closed doors, fans being shut out because of crowd trouble on a previous occasion. Marseille famed fanbase can be incredibly intimidating for visiting sides but also burdensome for the home players.

Experience key for Conte's side

Marseille's lack of high-level European experience relative to Tottenham is another factor to take into account. There are one or two individuals in l'OM's line-up that have outstanding experience of playing at this level - Alexis Sanchez, for example - but few of them compared to Tottenham. As a club, Marseille have little recent experience of dealing with this kind of do-or-die situation in Europe's premier club competition.

Tottenham's superior history in the competition and greater individual experience at the elite level of the game should serve them well.

Unlike Marseille, they have several players in their side that have performed at the higher echelons of the sport for club and country, which should hand them an advantage. They also have a manager well-versed in dealing with these type of situations.

Tottenham are worth considering to win the match at 2.56/4. Given they need only a draw to make the knockout phase, however, there are other notable options.

Tottenham on the Draw No Bet market - or Tottenham 0 on the Asian Handicap market, which is exactly the same thing - is our selection. With this pick, you'll make a profit if Tottenham win, and get your stakes back if the game ends in a draw. For a full guide to Asian Handicap betting, click here.

Over 0.5 FH goals on Betfair Exchange!

Spurs' crunch game in Marseille is the biggest match of the last round of Champions League matches, and Betfair is back with another offer over on the Exchange.

Place a £10 bet on Over 0.5 first half goals in France and should neither side score, you will get your money back as a free bet on settling!

That means, you will be able to back something in the second half right away, though we anticipate a few goals in this one.

Nine of the 13 goals involving Marseille in the Champions League this season have come in the opening 45 minutes, including 10 of the last 11.

Plus, despite sitting bottom of the group, Marseille could still finish top and above Spurs, and an early goal would be imperative for the French side to succeed.

Whether or not they do so remains to be seen, but that should leave ample space for Antonio Conte's men to exploit, with his counter attacking formation and stars ready to pounce.

Over 0.5 first half goals is currently trading at 1.42/5 on the Betfair Exchange, and remember, if it fails to land, you can get your money back as a free bet upon settling!

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