EPL Week 12 Wagering Weekend Windup: Tottenham vs. Leeds
It’s Week 12 of the English Premier League, and we bring you the latest edition of the EPL Weekend Windup as we move into the meat of the season. Several clubs are on a razor’s edge in terms of staying in the mix as far as title contention goes. Manchester City remains hot on the tail of Chelsea as they hope to keep pace when they welcome Everton to town as they begin to lose touch with the top four benchmark. Tottenham is seemingly in the same boat as they currently sit ninth in the league and cannot afford more slips if the top four remain a realistic outcome this season. They welcome the gritty Leeds United to town as they tread water perilously close to the relegation zone, sitting only three points above the drop zone. We have all the action for this Sunday’s games covered right here, but you can check out all your wagering options at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Tottenham vs. Leeds Predictions & Picks
- Leeds (+360)
- Under 2.5 (+108)
With a very congested mid-table, and after going winless in their past three matches, Tottenham Hotspur (-140) seems to be at a crucial juncture in their campaign. A win could see them climb into sixth place while defeat could pound them down to 13th! With new manager Antonio Conte taking the helm in only his second match with the club, the Spurs will be desperate to secure all three points before home support this Sunday. With an absence of the usual new manager bump in Conte’s first match, a scoreless draw with Everton, the Tottenham squad, will be out to justify the sacking of Nuno EspÃrito Santo after just ten games. There will be a discomforting air of “now what?” should Tottenham stumble again.
After the early political wrangling of Harry Kane bidding for a move to Madrid or Manchester City and then the controversial sacking of a new manager, there is heavy pressure on the club to the right a ship that has been in rough seas. With the defending and three-time Golden Boot winner Kane only bagging one goal this season, there is trouble in the North London outfit.
Not only are Tottenham winless in the past three, but they have also failed to score a goal and only mustered 22 shots over that time. If the Spurs have any hope left of approaching the top four, goals need to start coming very soon. The fact that the Spurs have been shut out three matches in a row by very average teams isn’t really a surprise. It’s been easy for clubs to mark the unimaginative runs of Harry Kane, who has looked like a one-man show for the most part and lacking support from strike partner Son Heung-min who has also been sterile in attack.
Their opponent, Leeds (+360), is a club under an equal amount of pressure. This Sunday, a loss in London could put them into the relegation zone, where managers and players begin to worry about their jobs. However, Leeds has been a study in resilience of late and, unlike their opponents, has responded positively to pressure situations. They are unbeaten in three matches, all of which had relegation implications. They also illustrated poise under pressure with the last kick of the game equalizer versus Wolves during their three-game run. They have even sorted out defensive woes since their 5-0 howler to Manchester United in August. In the past five games, Leeds has only lost one and has only allowed four goals in that time. Add in the highly touted and sought after Raphinha, who dazzled in South America this past week for Brazil and Leeds, look like a tricky proposition for Tottenham.
The gritty and hard tackling Leeds will be problematic for the often one-dimensional Tottenham, who have struggled to find the goal of late. Leeds at (+360) are excellent value for the upset win as Tottenham all too often shrinks away from pressure situations. With the newfound defensive resilience of Leeds and Tottenham’s continued goal drought, take the under 2.5 to add to your bottom line.
