Spurs welcome bottom-of-the-table Leicester City to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, with the hosts looking to continue their unbeaten run while compounding Brendan Rodgers’ early-season misery.
Tottenham are one of two remaining unbeaten teams in the top flight and, despite losing their midweek Champions League match at Sporting Lisbon, should enter Saturday’s match full of confidence.
The same cannot be said for the Foxes, who’ve lost five consecutive matches and all three road contests to kick off their Premier League campaign. Rodgers’ side is reeling at the foot of the table, taking just one from a possible 18 points.
See if Leicester can turn things around against Tottenham in our Premier League betting picks and predictions.
Tottenham vs Leicester City best odds
Tottenham vs Leicester City picks and predictions
Leicester’s dismal start has many wondering when the axe will come down on Brendan Rodgers. The Foxes have limped out of the gates, are seemingly out of money to invest in new assets, and have an aging core appearing sluggish, unmotivated, and listless.
That has contributed to Leicester’s current malaise. They’ve been outscored 11-5 in three away outings, including a 5-2 defeat at Brighton last time out. Staggeringly, that 5-2 scoreline flattered Leicester, who were disorganized and disinterested, conceding a litany of high-quality chances.
Rodgers is indignant, even disconsolate, about how the club handled the summer transfer period. The Foxes lost two of their most prized assets as Wesley Fofana was sold to Chelsea and Kasper Schmeichel moved on to Nice.
Jamie Vardy is the only remaining player from Leicester’s fairytale 2015-16 Premier League championship run. Only two unknown quantities — third-choice goalkeeper Alex Smithies and center-back Wout Faes — were brought into the fold in a dizzying display of mismanagement.
Veterans Vardy and Jonny Evans look tired, depleted, and miles off the pace, while maestro Youri Tielemans is in the last year of his contract. James Maddison has his heart set on signing for a top-tier team, and Harvey Barnes hasn’t yet returned to his sterling pre-injury form.
Rodgers must work out how to ensure his team isn’t so easy to beat, which starts with solidifying things defensively. First, he’ll probably move Wilfred Ndidi into midfield, where he belongs, and slide new signing Faes into central defense. At least that way, Ndidi can protect the backline and add some stability to the center of the park.
By doing so, Leicester will be harder to break down, and Rodgers will look to hit Spurs on the counter. That, however, is easier said than done against a Spurs side whose counter-attacking expertise is unmatched in the top flight.
If Leicester sits back, Spurs might have to take the impetus and boss possession, something they don’t particularly enjoy doing. But Tottenham is adaptable enough, especially at home, to prevail regardless of whether they’re forced to dictate proceedings.
Leicester has only been kept off the scoresheet once this season, at Manchester United in a 1-0 loss on Sept. 1. However, after conceding 16 goals in six outings, they will do everything in their power to stop the bleeding. Only Bournemouth has conceded more, and they allowed a preposterous nine at Liverpool.
Overcompensation will lead to Leicester being shut out for a second time. Tottenham has kept two clean sheets in six encounters and will want to shore things up at the back after conceding two late goals in Portugal midweek against Sporting Lisbon.
My best bet: Tottenham to win + Leicester not to score (+165 at BetMGM)
If you're signing up for a new sportsbook for some EPL betting, here are two of the best bonuses* available:
A) New users at FanDuel can bet $5 and get $150 in free bets! Sign Up Now
B) New users can get two risk-free bets up to $2,000 at PointsBet! Sign Up Now
*Eligible USA locations only
Tottenham vs Leicester City betting preview
Jump to:
•Side analysis •Over/Under analysis •Game info •Injuries •Weather
Side analysis
With Leicester amid a precipitous decline, the onus is on Tottenham to take all three points, particularly in the friendly confines of their state-of-the-art home stadium. In three contests thus far, Spurs have outscored opponents 7-2 at home.
In addition, Tottenham has outfoxed Leicester recently, winning four of the previous five meetings by a combined score of 13-7. Spurs have won seven on the bounce in all competitions at home dating back to last season and can ill-afford a letdown against a team so palpably devoid of self-belief.
There is no reason to believe Rodgers, who appears forlorn and uninspired, can motivate his side to a surprise, wondrous performance on Saturday.
Over/Under analysis
Despite this fixture traditionally being chock full of goals, lean toward the Under. Tottenham has scored at least three in their last three games against the Foxes, and six of the seven previous battles have resulted in the Over.
However, Antonio Conte’s Tottenham isn’t like previous versions. Tottenham kept six clean sheets in their last 12 matches dating back to last season. Not only has Tottenham improved their team defense, but Rodgers knows his side must be immeasurably better at the back.
The Foxes cannot continually ship goals if they have any chance of climbing the table. So the primary focus of shoring up the backline should have this match bucking the historical trend, resulting in a low-scoring Under.
If you’re feeling brave, lock in a 2-0 Tottenham win.
Tottenham vs Leicester City game info
• Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, City, England
• Date: Saturday, September 17, 2022
• Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
• TV: NBC
Tottenham vs Leicester City key injuries
Tottenham: Lucas Moura MF (Out).
Leicester City: Ricardo Pereira D (Out), Ryan Bertand D (Out).
Tottenham vs Leicester City weather
The late afternoon kickoff will see temperatures of about 79 Fahrenheit. Winds will be moderate at about 13 mph, and humidity is expected to be 53%. There is no chance of rain for what will be a sunny encounter.
