Tottenham Hotspur v Elfsborg: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Tottenham Hotspur will put their dismal domestic form to one side when they host Elfsborg in the final round of fixtures in the League Phase of the UEFA Europa League on Thursday.

Sunday's 2-1 defeat at home to Leicester City was Spurs' fourth top-flight defeat in a row, a result that heaped more pressure on under-fire manager Ange Postecoglou.

The former Celtic boss will be hoping for some European joy to turn the tide and his side know a victory against Elfsborg, who are 20th in the standings, will guarantee their place in the last-16 stage.

Anything less could see Spurs slip out of the top-eight places and into the play-off positions, making their route to the latter stages of the competition more difficult.

Tottenham Hotspur v Elfsborg betting tips and predictions

Both teams to score - 10/11

While Tottenham have dropped off dramatically in the league, they have managed to keep things going in the UEFA Europa League with four wins, two draws and one loss from their seven matches.

Spurs have collected seven points from their three home fixtures in the League Phase, beating Qarabag (3-0) and AZ Alkmaar (1-0) before conceding late to draw 2-2 against Roma.

The cup competitions have been the saving grace for Postecoglou over the last couple of months, with his side also beating Liverpool 1-0 in the EFL Cup semi-final, first-leg and seeing off Tamworth 3-0 in the FA Cup third round.

But six defeats and one draw from their last seven league assignments and just one victory from the last 11 top-flight fixtures has seen the mood turn sour at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with a lot of the anger aimed at chairman Daniel Levy.

Given the rut that Spurs find themselves in and the pressure Postecoglou is under, it is hard to back them at 1/5 to pick up the win against an Elfsborg side that are not assured of a play-off place.

The Swedish visitors have no domestic football on their agenda, as the season ended in November, so they have been preparing for these European clashes by playing friendly matches.

The extra rest and preparation time has done Elfsborg the world of good, as they have picked up victories over Qarabag (1-0) and Nice (1-0) in their last two European outings.

But away form is a concern for Oscar Hiljemark's side, who have lost all three road outings in the UEFA Europa League and conceded 10 goals during this period.

Therefore, given the doubts about the two sides to get the win, the better play is to back both teams to score at a shade worse than evens.

This bet has landed in five of Tottenham's seven European fixtures and in their last four matches in all competitions, while there has been goals at both ends in two of Elfsborg's three away fixtures in the UEFA Europa League.

Jalal Abdullai to have over 0.5 shots on target - 13/8

Elfsborg recently sold Michael Baidoo to Championship outfit Plymouth Argyle and his place up front was taken by Jalal Abdullai for the 1-0 win over Nice last time out.

The 20-year-old had two shots against the French opposition and he will likely be given the nod to lead the line at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

With the defensive issues and injury woes continuing for Spurs, there are likely to be chances for Elfsborg to find the back of the net and some of those opportunities may fall to Abdullai.

While an appealing 11/2 to score at any time, the safer play looks to be backing the Ghanaian to have a shot on target at a generous 13/8.

Archie Gray to be booked - 6/1

Tottenham's injury issues at the back have been well-documented and the performances of Archie Gray, predominantly a midfielder, have been a big talking point.

The 18-year-old has filled in all across the back, often struggling in the unnatural positions, and he is expected to start at left-back for this clash.

While Gray has been shown just one yellow this term, he can perhaps count himself a little lucky given he has committed at least one foul in four of his last five appearances.

Open, attacking games are the norm for Tottenham and that could leave Gray exposed in defence, with a second caution of the campaign possibly coming his way.

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Tottenham Hotspur v Elfsborg odds

Tottenham Hotspur - 1/5
Draw - 13/2
Elfsborg - 11/1

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.