Prediction & odds for the game: Southampton (2/1) v Tottenham (11/8)

When: Sunday, 20th September @ 12pm K.O

Where: St Mary’s Stadium

Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur will both attempt to get their first points of the new Premier League season on the board when they meet this weekend.

Southampton

Southampton fans are as confident as they could possibly be heading into the new campaign and while they aren’t tipped to be European contenders, most supporters just recognise and appreciate the value that Ralph Hasenhuttl brings to the club. They may still need a handful of names to come through the door if they want to really challenge for the top eight and beyond, but even if they don’t, they’ve got a core structure that is going to bode well for them between now and May.

Southampton’s return to Premier League football didn’t really go to plan as they fell behind against Crystal Palace and simply couldn’t work their way back into the game. Then, in the Carabao Cup second round, they were stunned once again as they lost 2-0 to Championship side Brentford.

Tottenham

Some are already writing off the current era under the guidance of Jose Mourinho, but with Gareth Bale being on the verge of a sensational return to North London, we could see the tide begin to turn sooner than most of us probably anticipated. The Welshman is only one man but he’s still got the potential to be one of the best players in world football, and you can bet he’s going to be more motivated than he has been in a long time.

Spurs lost their Premier League opener to Everton in one of their worst performances in quite some time. Then, in the second round of UEFA Europa League qualifying, they went 1-0 down to Lokomotiv Plovdiv before saving their blushes by coming back to win 2-1.

Conclusion

In what is bound to be an attacking game, if only because both sides are in desperate need of some points after a poor start to the season, we’re expecting to see a lot of back and forth play between the Saints and Spurs. Southampton are more than capable of picking up a big result and we actually think they’ll take the lead on the South Coast, but when push comes to shove, Jose Mourinho will guide his side over the finish line in what will be a much, much needed victory.

There are plenty of ways to ensure a fun game but the most obvious one is by putting the ball in the back of the net – and with a 2-1 Tottenham prediction, we’re backing the over 2.5 goals market – so get ready for some excitement.

Verdict: Back the away at odds of 11/8 and the over 2.5 goals scored at odds of 10/11 (All odds are taken from bet365).

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