Premier League tips & bet specials for Man United vs. Spurs

ARE Manchester United out of the 2017/18 English Premier League title race already?

Last weekend’s shock defeat to Huddersfield Town leaves the Red Devils five points adrift of Manchester City, but the gulf in class between the top two is much wider than that at the moment.

United coach Jose Mourinho has gone on the defensive in the absence of Paul Pogba and Eric Bailly – perhaps the two most important discs in a spine that was oh-so solid in the early weeks of the campaign.

That negative mindset has had a significant impact on the output of the club’s star-studded forward line.

Summer signing Romelu Lukaku has not troubled the scorers since September, and former United defender Paul Parker believes Mourinho’s overly cautious approach is to blame.

“When you look at Manchester United and the quality they have across the park, they offer more than Spurs,” Parker told ESPN.

“But the problem is for Manchester United: are those players going to be allowed to attack? What style are Manchester United going to play?

“Because without the right kind of supply, as we saw in the match at Liverpool, Lukaku is redundant.”

On the flipside, Parker was effusive in his praise of Tottenham top gun Harry Kane.

“There’s definitely a lot more in Harry Kane’s game than there is in Lukaku’s,” he said.

“When I look at Lukaku, and I look at the way he plays, he’s more predictable. You know all his strengths… how he’s a bit of a predator in the box, picking up the pieces, so you just have to be aware of him on set pieces. He hasn’t got anything hidden that might catch you out.

“Harry can offer more. He can drop deeper. He can play up top. He’s just got a little bit more about him. He can improvise more in his game because as many as he might score, he might offer an assist as well.”

Kane was at the double yet again last weekend as Spurs thrashed Liverpool to draw level with United on points.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men are riding a rich vein of form that has produced four consecutive wins at an average of three goals per game.

That has seen them leapfrog the Devils onto the second line of Premier League outright betting at CrownBet.com.au, where they are paying $11 to catch runaway favourites Man City ($1.20).

Harry Kane specials and goalscorer odds

• First goalscorer – $5.50 at CrownBet
• Anytime goalscorer/Spurs win – $5.50 at Ladbrokes
• Two goals or more – $8 at CrownBet
• Goals in both halves – $17 at Ladbrokes
• Hat-trick or better – $41 at Ladbrokes

There are some outstanding forwards running around in English football, but Kane might just be the best out-and-out striker of the lot.

After a goalless August, the Spurs star has scored eight times in six games to vault ahead of Lukaku, Sergio Aguero, et al in the race for the EPL Golden Boot.

It is well worth noting that all of Kane’s Premier League goals this season have come in braces, which makes him a very promising option in the multiples markets.

Man United vs. Spurs match prediction

Tottenham Hotspur to win – $3.50 at Sportsbet

They might be level on points, but these two teams are in very different moods right now.

There is every chance United will look to park the bus on their own patch, as Mourinho clearly has little faith in the cattle at his disposal right now.

Spurs, by contrast, are playing with a kind of calculated, clinical aggression that should have everybody worried.

Although they have not won at Old Trafford since 2014, their last two visits ended in 1-0 losses that could easily have gone the other way.

If you can’t commit to backing the Lilywhites outright, the double chance ($1.62) and draw no bet ($2.46) markets at Sportsbet are the way to go.