Spurs v Fulham: Betting Preview & Tips

Tottenham Hotspur v Fulham

When these two met in the original fixture a boring 0-0 draw was played out with few chances and not much action of note. With Fulham juggling their small squad in three competitions and Spurs missing key players, there may be more of the same says Betfair’s Tareq Quiroz.

FA Cup semi-final weekend is one of the jewels in the fixture list crown. I’m not the biggest fan of having them at Wembley but hey, at least more supporters get to see these great events. The line-up is almost complete with just Portsmouth awaiting the winners of the replay between Spurs and Fulham.

The first encounter between these two London outfits was instantly forgettable. At a busy time of the season Fulham in particular will be a bit annoyed they didn’t go for it a bit more in the first tie. Both teams could do with a rest but the prize here is just too big to give up on. I expect full teams out for both and hopefully a slightly more entertaining game.

For Tottenham, injuries to key players such as Jermain Defoe, Aaron Lennon, Ledley King and Jermaine Jenas have hampered their end of season campaign. So far it hasn’t really affected their results but you get the feeling there may be a cracking point anytime soon. With a further injury to Roman Pavlyuchenko meaning he will miss this game, Spurs are down to their bare bones up front. Against a tight defence like Fulham’s, this might just be the key to how this game will pan out.

Following last week’s amazing victory over Juventus it was a tough task for Fulham to raise their game at the weekend. With little to play for in the league you can be sure that Roy Hodgson will have his team fully charged for this match. It was noticeable that Bobby Zamora, Zolten Gera and Clint Dempsey were all used for relatively small parts of the match on Sunday. Hodgson wanted them fresh for this and I expect them to come out firing into this injury-ravaged Spurs outfit.

I am tempted by the 6.4 available on Fulham in the Match Odds but I feel the more sensible bet would be a lay of Spurs at odds of 1.64. If, as expected, Fulham rock Brede Hangeland is back I think Harry Redknapp’s troops will find it too tight a defence to breach with the players he has at his disposal. You never know, this might just be Fulham’s year.

I can’t get that first encounter out of my head and with so much resting on the outcome I don’t expect this game to be much more open that the first. With that in mind I feel that we might struggle for goals. I think there is some value in the Over/Under 1.5 Goals market but once again I am erring on the side of caution. The Under 2.5 Goals option in the Over/Under 2.5 Goals market is trading at around 2.04 and that is definitely my main punt for this match.

If you are looking for something a little different then the Asian Handicap market is possible the answer. The middle line has some possibilities but I am most tempted by the top line. Fulham +1 is the line and that essentially means if you back Fulham+1, then if Fulham win or the match is a draw then you win. If Tottenham win by one goal then you get your stake back so no loss. The only way you lose is if Tottenham win by 2 goals or more. So, at odds of around 1.76 a back of Fulham in this market looks a good bet to me.

With a trip to Wembley so close I expect a nervous night for both sets of supporters and, speaking totally with my wallet, with any luck we’ll have another 0-0 draw!

Recommended Bet: Back Under 2.5 Goals at 2.04

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