* All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
Tottenham are a difficult team to gauge under Nuno Espirito Santo. They have not been convincing in any of their five wins and were soundly beaten in three consecutive London derbies against Crystal Palace, Chelsea, and Arsenal.
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Their style of football has also come under deserved scrutiny since it bears a striking resemblance to their former defensive Portuguese manager who they parted ways with earlier in the year. And yet, Spurs find themselves in 5th-place in the league, just four points off early leaders Chelsea.
Thursday 5.45pm: Vitesse Arnhem v Tottenham
BT Sport 1
Safe Bet: Tottenham to win
However, they take on a Vitesse side that has lost three of their nine Eredivisie games this season, including two of their four home games. The Dutch outfit have also lost their other home Conference League game, going down 2-1 to Rennes last time out.
Vitesse additionally failed to beat struggling League of Ireland outfit Dundalk in a Conference League play-off over the summer and should pose little threat to a weakened Tottenham on Thursday night. Despite their poor Premier League form, expect Tottenham to Win here.
Value Bet: Dele Alli to score anytime
Nuno gave us a bit hint as to his starting XI for Thursday when revealing that none of the players who started against Newcastle at the weekend had travelled for this game. It points strongly towards Dele Alli starting in a starring role for Spurs.
He’s rediscovering the form that saw him become an England regular and it’s a good chance for him to capitalise on a porous Vitesse defence that has conceded 11 goals in five games in all competitions this season. Vitesse are yet to keep a clean sheet at home and this represents the perfect opportunity for Alli to Score Anytime as your value play.
Long Shot: Tottenham to win 4-1
Tottenham have earned a justified reputation for being dull to watch under Nuno, but that hasn’t stopped them from conceding 12 goals in eight Premier League games. Spurs boast the worst defensive record in the top ten and have failed to keep a clean sheet in either of their two Conference League games.
They also conceded in a play-off against Pacos de Ferreira in the summer and are clearly struggling to defend following a run of three clean sheets at the start of the Premier League season. Vitesse have scored in each of their last eight games and have a good chance of breaching a shaky Spurs defence on Thursday night.
However, the Dutch side have conceded 15 times in nine league games this season and have suffered two three-goal hammerings at home already, while league leaders Ajax trounced them 5-0 at the Johan Cruyff Arena. Despite their penchant for dull football, Spurs have scored 10 goals in their last three games and should have enough to breach the Vitesse defence on numerous occasions. Spurs to Win 4-1 is a lively long shot.
Vitesse v Spurs Best Bets
Safe Bet: Tottenham to win
Value Bet: Dele Alli to score anytime
Long Shot: Tottenham to win 4-1
* All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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