QPR vs Spurs: Back Spurs to foil Redknapp's revenge bid

QPR boss Harry Redknapp takes on his former side Spurs on Saturday lunchtime, and Kevin Hatchard doesn't expect him to enjoy the reunion...

 

QPR vs Tottenham, Sat 12:45, Live on Sky Sports 2

Match Odds: QPR 4.7, Spurs 1.88, the draw 3.9

 

Queens Park Rangers' stunning victory at Chelsea at the start of 2013 has undoubtedly boosted their Premier League survival hopes, but there is a gigantic amount of work to do before safety is achieved. Rangers remain bottom of the table, five points adrift of safety, and they are 1.56 in the Relegation market.

 

Optimists at Loftus Road will say that Harry Redknapp is making progress in his bid to organise a disparate group of talented players, and to back up those claims they will use that gutsy display at Stamford Bridge as "Exhibit A". Naysayers will point to a run of two wins in nine games since Redknapp took charge, a sequence that includes just two clean sheets.

 

Redknapp is patently aware that his defence is vulnerable - Clint Hill simply isn't good enough at Premier League level, Ryan Nelsen is a great leader but lacks pace (and will leave after this game to coach Toronto), and full-backs Fabio and Armand Traore are great going forward but fragile defensively. It's no surprise that Redknapp made a sizeable but ultimately futile bid for West Brom's defensive behemoth Jonas Olsson.

 

Saturday's clash will be an emotional one for Redknapp, who faces Spurs for the first time since he was axed in the summer. Redknapp says he's not still angry about the way he was binned by a club he transformed from relegation candidates to Champions League contenders, but that declaration's about as convincing as Donald Trump's hairpiece. Redknapp will be desperate to beat Andre Villas-Boas' Spurs side, but I think he's in for a disappointing afternoon.

 

Spurs have lost just one of their last 12 games in all competitions, and that was a bizarre 2-1 reverse at Everton that saw them concede twice in stoppage-time. AVB's men have won six of their last eight league games, scoring 19 goals and conceding just six in the process. Their impressive tally of six away wins is only bettered by leaders Manchester United, and only United have scored more than Spurs' 22 goals on their travels.

 

The key to Spurs' success on the road is their pace on the break and their threat from wide positions, and I suspect both traits will serve them well against QPR. Rangers like to push their full-backs forward, and I expect the likes of Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon to exploit the space they leave behind. Lennon is in electric form, with excellent displays against Sunderland and Reading, while Bale recently scored a stunning second-half hat-trick in a 4-0 win at Aston Villa.

 

Given Spurs' excellent form, and their potential to exploit QPR's defensive weaknesses, I think 1.88 is a decent price for the away win. Backing Over 2.5 Goals has paid out in 12 of Spurs' last 15 games, and considering QPR's fragility it's worth backing this time at 1.81.

 

Recommended Bet

Back Over 2.5 Goals at 1.81

Best Bet: Back Spurs to win at 1.88

 

Bet HERE

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