Tottenham Hotspur can wake up from its Premier League nightmare with a win against Chelsea on Tuesday afternoon.
West Ham’s loss to Newcastle on Sunday means that Spurs need two points from their final two matches of the season, with their first chance coming in midweek at Stamford Bridge.
Oddsmakers aren’t giving Tottenham too much respect, as Spurs are +260 at FanDuel Sportsbook to get the win in West London on Tuesday.
Tottenham vs. Chelsea odds, prediction
There are a few different ways to approach this handicap.
On one hand, Chelsea is the better team, playing at home, and will have no pressure to deal with outside of trying to end a seven-match winless streak in the league.
They will also be playing under a new manager, Xabi Alonso, who was appointed to the post Sunday, about 24 hours after the Blues lost to Man City in the FA Cup Final.
On the other hand, the Blues probably can’t wait for this season to end.
They just lost an emotional cup final Saturday, the World Cup is looming, the team has nothing to gain from winning, and plenty of players in Chelsea’s ranks are probably counting the minutes until this disappointing campaign ends.
While the Blues could be going through the motions Tuesday, Spurs are fighting for their life.
And Tottenham has found some form during this do-or-die stretch run.
It hasn’t been pretty, but Tottenham has won two of its last three matches and is on a four-match unbeaten streak. Spurs have only lost once under Roberto De Zerbi, and that defeat came in his first game in charge.
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Spurs have been abysmal for most of the season, but Chelsea has completely come unglued in recent weeks.
Perhaps they catch a new-manager bump with Alonso making his debut, but I’ll take my chances on the team that’s playing for something Tuesday.
The Play: Tottenham moneyline (+260, FanDuel)
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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
