Liverpool will be hoping for the same sort of outcome as they enjoyed on their last trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when they take on Spurs in the EFL Cup semi-final first leg in North London on Wednesday night (UK time).
The Reds ran out 6-3 winners in a spectacular contest away to Ange Postecoglou’s stuttering side in the Premier League on December 22, and a similar margin of victory here would put them in a commanding position ahead of the semi-final second leg at Anfield on February 6.
Ahead of that league game last month, Liverpool were 1.91 (10/11) favourites to win. There have been so few positives for Postecoglou and his players to draw confidence from since that encounter that it is little surprise to find Arne Slot’s side are even shorter odds to win this time around.
Tottenham Hotspur are 4.4 (17/5) to win on the night, while the Draw is 5.0 (4/1) and Liverpool are 1.71 (4/7). Such is the difference in short- and medium-term form, it is difficult to make a strong case for any outcome here other than yet another Reds victory.
Liverpool have lost only once all season, and picked up seven points from three matches since that emphatic win over Tottenham last month. They may have dropped points at home to Manchester United (2-2) in the Premier League last Sunday, but on their last away trip they ran out emphatic 5-0 winners at West Ham, and that was their fourth consecutive win on the road in all competitions.
In contrast, Tottenham’s dismal form has simply continued since that 6-3 setback last month: in three Premier League games since, they have picked up just one point (a 2-2 draw against Wolves), while suffering defeats against Nottingham Forest (1-0 away) and Newcastle United (2-1 at home).
With the club still enduring an injury crisis, manager Postecoglou will struggle to field a side with the quality to stifle a Liverpool attack that will arrive with plenty of confidence.
Best Bet
Taking all factors into account, Liverpool's odds-on price to win on the night makes sense. If you are looking for a selection in the Match Odds market, backing the visitors to secure a first-leg lead would be the smart choice.
Liverpool the handicap pick
For those that believe Liverpool will win on the night and are looking for bigger odds on Slot’s visitors, the Asian Handicap would be the smart selection.
When making a selection from the Asian Handicap market, you add your Asian Handicap selection to the final scoreline at the end of the game to see if you have got a winner. With our selection of Liverpool -1.0, for example, you would lose if Liverpool lose or draw (because you would add -1.0 goals to this scoreline), get your stakes back if Liverpool win by a single goal (because the handicap would have been equalled), and have a winning selection if Liverpool win by two or more goals.
With that 6-3 win last month, Liverpool showed they can go to Tottenham and win big. And their generally excellent away form – they are W12-D2-L0 on the road in all competitions this season – means there is very little downside to our selection.
It is worth noting that the only two teams Liverpool have failed to beat when playing away from home this season – Arsenal and Newcastle United – are both better sides than Tottenham are at the moment.
Best Bet
Liverpool -1.0 Asian Handicap makes a lot of sense if, like us, you expect Liverpool to win on the night. In the event of Liverpool winning by a single goal – as they have done in seven of their 14 away games this season – you will not lose anything, as your stakes will be returned.
Should Liverpool go on to win by a margin of two or more goals – as they have done in five of their 14 away games this season – you will make a profit.
Top selection – Liverpool -1.0 Asian Handicap (2.1)
Prolific Liverpool a second selection
Given how dangerous Liverpool have been on the road this season, the Total Away Goals market deserves some attention. Ange Postecoglou's hosts have so many injury absences in defence that it's hard to see how they can shut out the prolific visitors.
Liverpool have scored 38 goals in their 14 away games in all competitions this season (an average of 2.71 goals per game). This is a higher tally than they have managed at Anfield – in 14 home games in all competitions, the Reds have scored ‘only’ 31 times, a lower average of 2.21 goals per game.
A breakdown of the number of goals per away game that Liverpool have scored makes for interesting reading: they have scored just one goal in three games, two goals in four games, three goals in five games, five goals in one game, and six goals in one game as well.
In other words, the Reds have managed three or more goals in 50 percent of their away games this season, and scored at least two goals in 79 percent of their away games.
Best Bet
As our table above shows, Liverpool are available at odds of 1.63 to score two goals. With this selection, you would get your stakes back if Liverpool were to score exactly twice, and make a profit should they score three or more goals.