Once Listed at 89-1 to Win UCL, Tottenham Now Just 15-1; Is There Still Value?

• The first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 is complete
• Tottenham put forth an impressive effort against Dortmund, picking up a 3-0 victory
• Are they worth a wager to win it all?

For Tottenham, this was always going to be a tough season. Despite being among the EPL’s ‘big four’ and having qualified for the UEFA Champions League, they have had some major hurdles to overcome.

For starters, the club had no less than nine players involved in the semi-finals of last summer’s World Cup in Russia. This meant their preparations for the new EPL season began with none of their big names, with some only returning to training one week before the league kicked off.

However, things just got a little brighter for them in the UCL, as they hammered Dortmund 3-0 in the 1st Leg of the Round of 16. The result is their average odds to win the Champions League going from +8900 to just +1500.

One sportsbook has them on the shorter end at +1400.

Odds to Win 2019 UEFA Champions League

Odds taken 2/21.

Tottenham Doing It Without Alli & Kane

While Manchester City still head the UEFA Champions League odds, Tottenham have somehow managed to stay in touch despite all of the setbacks. This includes two of their best players – Harry Kane and Dele Alli – getting injured in January.

#MorningFlow

☎️ On the line Simone Conley talking Hamstring injury case of Deli Allihttps://t.co/TI50klb6y7

— Vision View Sports (@vvsportsradio) February 11, 2019

The absence of Alli and Kane has made their UEFA Champions League run all the more impressive.

They qualified for the knockout stages the hard way, failing to win any of their opening three group games, and when they were drawn against the current leaders of the German Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund (BVB), in the Round of 16, many Tottenham fans feared the worst.

BVB on the Rack

Those fears were unfounded, however, and in the first-leg at Wembley, the north Londoners stormed into a thrilling 3-0 lead in the tie.

Three second-half goals, from Son Heung-min, Jan Vertonghen, and Fernando Llorente, gave the Lilywhites what many see as an unassailable lead.

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, won’t, of course, admit that the tie is dead and buried, and 80,000 BVB fans will ensure the second-leg a tricky one for the visitors. But if Spurs can avoid conceding an early goal, there will only be one winner.

Even better news for Tottenham is that Kane is likely to be fit for the second-leg [Tuesday, 5 March], and there is even an outside chance that Alli may also have recovered from injury.

Harry Kane in line to make Tottenham return from injury ahead of schedule https://t.co/pCmuaR3has pic.twitter.com/KJ7HBDtVZB

— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) February 19, 2019

All of which explains why odds that were once +8900 back on November 8 for Spurs to win the competition have now come down to just +1400 at some books, and an average of +1500. The big question is, does this still offer value?

While I confidently predict that Tottenham will get past BVB and make it to the last eight of the competition, that still leaves a massive task ahead for a squad who are not used to winning things.

And, in Pochettino, they have a coach who is a wonderful tactician and man-manager, but who also is not used to winning trophies.

Spurs can become giants under Pochettino.. he’s building something special | @neilashton_https://t.co/y2wYjBPfq7 pic.twitter.com/MVMnJWI7DK

— The Sun Football ⚽ (@TheSunFootball) February 15, 2019

Depending on who they draw in the last eight, we can see Tottenham making it to the semi-finals but with Barcelona, Manchester City, and even Real Madrid – if they make it last Ajax – likely to be obstacles in their way, we see it being difficult for them.

I’m not convinced +1500 offers great value.

The Era of PSG

Instead, I have a gut feeling that this season could finally be the year of Paris Saint-Germain.

It’s a project that’s already cost millions and, so far, has only delivered a succession of French league titles, but the professional way PSG dispatched Manchester United in their first-leg Round of 16 tie suggests things are finally falling into place.

Even at +500, we feel this realistically offers better value.