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EPL Odds: Newly Promoted Newcastle Takes on Spurs

Don Aguero

by Don Aguero in Soccer News

Updated Apr 6, 2020 · 1:19 PM PDT

Paul Dummett at Newcastle
Photo Credit: Ben Sutherland (flickr) CC License

Newcastle United (+450) vs. Tottenham Hotspur (-137), Draw (+305)

Newcastle United are back in the Premier League where they belong, but it’ll be a tough re-introduction on Sunday (August 13th) when they face Tottenham Hotspur in their first match of the 2017-18 season. 

With just a few days before their season debut, Newcastle is still desperately seeking another decent centre-forward. Top goalscorer Dwight Gayle is battling a hamstring injury and hasn’t been ruled fit yet, so the Magpies may once again be forced to call upon the unreliable Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Manager Rafa Benitez has made some decent signings over the summer, snapping up players like Norwich’s Jacob Murphy and Eibar’s Florian Lejeune. Overall though, it’s been a disappointing transfer period. After a bid for Stoke’s Joselu was knocked back, Benitez has set his sights on Arsenal striker Lucas Perez.

Speaking of terrible transfer seasons, Tottenham remains the only top flight Premier League side to not of signed a single player over the summer. If there’s a time for Tottenham to throw caution to the wind and break the bank, it’s now. They’re on the cusp of becoming a top-tier English side but without at least a few high-profile signings, their place among the top four will be tough to maintain.

They’ve already lost Kyle Walker to Manchester City and Dele Alli is currently being sized up by Barcelona. On top of that, left-back Danny Rose and midfielder Erik Lamela are still recovering from surgery, and Victor Wanyama and Son Heung-Min are on the mend as well.

Benitez deserves a ton of credit for resurrecting Newcastle. He stuck with the club after they were relegated, stopped the bleeding in the Championship, and led them back to the Premier League a season later. But he still has a tough road ahead. Newcastle flirted with relegation in the previous two seasons before they finally sank and they’re at risk of going down again this season.

Tottenham definitely will not be at their best. They’ve lost a few crucial players over the summer, haven’t made any new signings, and a handful of their key players may not be match-ready by Sunday. But even with a severely depleted squad, they should still be expected to beat Newcastle.

Pick: Tottenham Hotspur (-137)

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