Tottenham Hotspur are riding high coming into this season after a great campaign in 2018-19. Spurs made it all the way to the Champions League final before falling to Liverpool and qualified for this year’s Champions League too. Their new stadium is finished and that has freed up finances, and they made a big move in the transfer market too. They are out to start their season with three points, while newly promoted Aston Villa would love to secure any type of result.
Don't miss the English Premier League action from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England at 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 10, 2019. Catch every moment of the match live on NBC.
EPL Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Tottenham Hotspur -344
Aston Villa +782
Draw +483
Over/Under 2.5 and 3
Odds Analysis
Aston Villa were promoted by way of the playoff, but the club has invested a lot of money to ensure they stay in the Premier League at the end of the season. They have spent nearly $170 million on new players, and this is a shadow of the team that qualified from Championship.
The improvements have been made at every position. Wesley and Marvelous Nakamba were signed from Club Brugge, while Tyrone Mings, Douglas Luiz, Matt Targett, Ezri Konsa, and Tom Heaton were signed from other English clubs. Trezeguet and Anwar El Ghazi were added too, and each player cost $10 million or more.
Results from the preseason have been very promising. Aston Villa have won all five of their matches, and four of the five wins were by multiple goals. They bested Minnesota United in mid-September and then beat lower-tier English clubs Shrewsbury, Walsall, and Charlton. The Villans knocked off Red Bull Leipzig 3-1 in Germany in their final preseason match.
Unlike last season, Tottenham were unable to claim the International Champions Cup. However, it was still a nice preseason for Spurs. New signing Tanguy Ndombele has looked impressive and the club was able to secure a win over Juventus and a draw against Inter Milan. They did still win some silverware too, claiming the Audi Cup after knocking off Real Madrid 1-0 in the semifinal and then beating Bayern Munich in penalties in Bavaria.
Key Injuries
Three of Aston Villa’s players didn’t take part in the final preseason game in Leipzig, but they are expected to play on Saturday. Jed Steer is projected to start training again in a couple days after a heel knock, while Ezri Konsa had a minor thigh injury and was held out for precautionary reasons. Anwar El Ghazi is listed as probable, but he has been fully cleared.
Son Heung-min is suspended for the first two games of the season after being shown a red card in a loss to Bournemouth last season. Juan Marcos Foyth, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Ben Davies, and Dele Alli will miss the match due to injury. Victor Wanyama is doubtful due to a knee injury, and Serge Augier and Eric Dier are both questionable.
Player to Watch
Not having Son will put the onus on Harry Kane up top. Kane won the Premier League Golden Boot in 2015-16 and 2016-17, but he was injured last season and finished the year with just 17 goals. He is out to start the season red hot and re-stake his claim as the top scorer in English soccer.
Prop Bet – Under 2.5 +117
This match shouldn’t have too many goals. Spurs are without one of their top scorers in Son and one of their playmakers in Alli. It will take some time for Villa to form chemistry too, as most of their projected starters are new to the club. That indicates a low-scoring game to me.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
Spurs should get the win due to their talent and chemistry. Villa will be better as they gain more experience with another, but it might be rough early on.
English Premier League Odds: Tottenham Hotspur 2, Aston Villa 0
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