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Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa betting tips
- Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals - 8/11 with bet365
- Draw at half-time - 8/5 with Betway
- Son Heung-min to score any time - 6/4 with bet365
Tottenham Hotspur will be seeking to return to winning ways when they take on Aston Villa on Sunday (Sky Sports Main Event, 2pm).
Ange Postecoglou’s side lost back-to-back matches prior to the November international break, dropping from top of the table to fourth.
Aston Villa are hot on their heels and a win for either side in north London would see them end the weekend in the Champions League qualification spots.
The football betting sites expect a close encounter, with Spurs the narrow favourites to come out on top.
Goals on the cards
The international break came at a good time for Tottenham. After a superb start to the season which saw Spurs take 26 points from the first 30 available, Postecoglou’s men lost consecutive games to Chelsea and Wolverhampton Wanderers prior to the pause for Euro 2024 qualifiers.
They also lost several players to suspension and injury in that time. Tottenham have been able to patch one or two up over the last fortnight, but the hosts will still be without James Maddison, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Ivan Perisic, Richarlison, Manor Solomon, Ryan Sessegnon and Alfie Whiteman, while Destiny Udogie may need to undergo a late fitness test.
Even so, there is reason to believe this will be a high-scoring encounter. Tottenham are an attack-minded team under Postecoglou and they will not adopt a more cautious approach just because a few players are on the treatment table.
Meanwhile, only Manchester City have put the ball in the back of the net more often than Aston Villa, who have scored 29 goals in their 12 games to date.
However, Villa have struggled away from home, conceding an average of two goals per match at opposition grounds.
Betting sites are expecting goals with both sides having the tools to hurt one-another and we’re happy to go along with them with both teams to score and over 2.5 goals 8/11 with bet365.
Tottenham vs Aston Villa Tip 1: Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals - 8/11 with bet365
Scores could be level at the interval
Tottenham’s overall record this season is excellent. After scraping an eighth-place finish last term and then losing their greatest-ever player in Harry Kane, expectations were low in the white-and-navy half of north London.
Spurs have exceeded them so far. A title challenge will probably be beyond them, but the Premier League odds have Postecoglou’s side firmly in the mix for Champions League qualification.
One area in which they can still improve is in the first half of matches. Spurs have been relatively slow starters up to now: although they rank third in the second half table, they only have the sixth-best record in the opening 45 minutes.
They are one of only two teams (the other being Chelsea) yet to be behind at the interval, but the scores have been level in eight of Tottenham’s 12 Premier League games.
That could be the case again on Sunday. New UK betting sites believe Tottenham and Aston Villa are evenly matched and there is unlikely to be much between them, especially at the midway point.
Tottenham vs Aston Villa Tip 2: Draw at half-time - 8/5 with Betway
Son can make mark even without Maddison
Of all Tottenham’s absentees, Maddison is the most significant. The former Leicester City schemer has been a revelation so far this season, scoring three goals and providing five assists.
Son Heung-min has been the chief beneficiary of Maddison’s creativity and the South Korean’s form could suffer for as long as his team-mate is out.
In this game, though, we fancy his chances of adding another goal to his tally for the season, which currently stands at eight - only Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah have more so far.
Aston Villa play with a high defensive line. It often works: they have caught their opponents offside considerably more than any other side in the Premier League since Unai Emery’s appointment a year ago.
But Villa’s risky approach can be exploited by well-timed runs in behind from speedy players like Son.
Emery’s side have only kept one clean sheet on their travels, so Tottenham’s captain should get opportunities here to score as our final Spurs vs Aston Villa prediction.
Tottenham vs Aston Villa Tip 3: Son Heung-min to score any time - 6/4 with bet365
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Last Updated: 14th March 2024, 07:22 AM
