After Leicester slipped up on Sunday, Tottenham have the chance to reduce their lead at the top to just five points when they head to the Britannia Stadium to take on Stoke in the Monday Night Football, possibly the biggest Monday game of the season.
Stoke City
Stoke have won just one of their last five matches and that came against a Watford side who are looking at their FA Cup semi-final so although it has been a good season for Mark Hughes’ men there are signs that with little to play for now they are mentally on the beach already.
One of the reasons for the dropping off of form has been the injury to Jack Butland. They are yet to keep a clean sheet in his absence which shows how valuable the England stopper has been to them this season although we didn’t really need any statistical evidence of that, it is there for all to see.
Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs are in decent form at the minute. They’ve only lost one of their last 10 matches in the league and only one draw in that time too and the way they took Man Utd to the cleaners in a savage 10 minute spell highlighted the danger to anyone who stands in their way of closing the gap on Leicester.
This is the first time for a while that they’ve had a chance to make an impression on Leicester after the Foxes dropped points and they’ll be well aware the last time this chance came along they went and dropped points at West Ham. Dropping points here is not an option if they are going to win the title.
Team news
Stoke are still without Butland, who is out for the season. Erik Pieters is suspended and deputy Marc Muniesa has a knock so the Potters could be light at left back which isn’t ideal. Marko Arnautovic hopes to be fit while Glenn Whelan is also set for a return.
Harry Kane has recovered from a knock he was carrying so he will feature in this match but there will be no Nabil Bentaleb as he has a knee injury. Clinton Njie returns from a knee injury of his own here to give Spurs another option for the run in.
Betting
Spurs go into this match as odds on favourites to win and I can’t possibly back them at that price even though I think they will win the game. There is just no value there. We are getting at the stage of the season where nothing comes easy and that has to be factored into the quest for finding value.
I do believe Spurs will win though. Stoke’s form has completely deserted them which probably isn’t a surprise so the visitors should get the chance to control much of the game and their extra quality can prove the difference.
As I say at this stage of the season in particular I much rather seek the value than plough into a short price and the value could perhaps come in Spurs to win to nil. Five of their last seven wins have been without conceding including their last three and with Stoke’s motivation not as high as it could be Tottenham’s defence might not face the threat they could have done earlier in the season.
Tips
WON – Back Spurs to win to nil for a 3/10 stake at 2.88 with Ladbrokes
Back them here:
