Tamworth vs Tottenham Hotspur Prediction: Spurs to silence the Lambs

The giant-killing of all giant-killings could happen on Sunday (12:30, ITV1) as National League Tamworth host Tottenham Hotspur of the Premier League at The Lamb Ground in the FA Cup third round.

Below, I'll give you my Tamworth vs Tottenham Hotspur predictions, as well as all the latest team news, match odds and stats.

Let me just state at the very start of this preview that I am a Huddersfield Town fan, so am writing this through gritted teeth. My club are one of three along with Macclesfield and Burton Albion that have been dispatched by the National League side in this brilliant FA Cup run, which sees them enter the third-round as the lowest-ranked club left in the competition.

That penalty win over local rivals Albion saw the Staffordshire club earn one of the biggest draws possible - Spurs in front of their own loyal fanbase. There will be around 4,000 people crammed into the Lamb Ground, in one of biggest games in the clubs history. The last time there was this kind of FA Cup fever in the town was back in 2012, when a David Moyes-led Everton beat them 2-0, thanks to goals from Johnny Heitinga and Leighton Baines.

Tottenham head up north with a smile on their face, after a terrific midweek win over Premier League leaders Liverpool. Lucas Bergvall may have been lucky to still be on the pitch but the 18-year-old Swede dispatched Dominic Solanke's cross with aplomb to give the north London club a first leg lead.

Now they face a really tough assignment against a club that are full of momentum and are unbeaten in the last eight in front of their home support. But can the Lambs pull off the mother of all shocks in front of a nationwide audience?

Football Odds

Team News

Andy Peaks will be without midfielder Ben Acquaye for the visit of Spurs but he should be Tamworth's only absentee ahead of the game.

As for Ange Postecoglou, he will surely make wholesale changes that have been partially enforced due to injury and illness but also looking ahead to much bigger games in the Premier League, including Wednesday's North London Derby.

James Maddison and Pape Sarr should return after missing the Liverpool game via suspension but there are a whole host of names missing for Tottenham including Rodrigo Bentancur, who suffered a horror fall whilst attempting a diving header and who continues to recover in hospital. Meanwhile Richarlison and Fraser Forster continue to recover from illness.

Tamworth vs Tottenham Hotspur Odds

There are roughly 100 places separating these two clubs in the English football pyramid and and that is reflected in the betting odds, where Tamworth are huge 14/1 outsiders to pull off the shock, while Spurs are 1/6, or an implied 86% chance of winning. If you fancy extra time, then a draw is available at 13/2.

Both teams to score is priced up at 10/11, while over 2.5 goals is just 4/11 and over 3.5 at 10/11, so we should get plenty of goals here.

It's tough to pick out any goalscorer odds with so many changes anticipated but Richarlison is 19/20 to score anytime if he starts and young Will Lankshear (more on him shortly) is 21/20. For the Lambs, their best bet looks to be Nathan Tsikuna who has five goals this season and is priced at 4/1.

Tottenham -2 Handicap @ 5/4

Assuming this game goes ahead, I think it'll go like a hundred others we've seen in the past between two sides at opposing ends of the English footballing pyramid. Tamworth will huff and they'll puff and then Spurs will blow their house down.

I anticipate Peaks' side will give Tottenham plenty of early problems on what will be a pretty ropey partially-frozen artificial-turf Lamb Ground. They possess a very direct style and will load the box on any set pieces.

However, Postecoglou's outfit will eventually score and then will have a bit of shooting practice. Even their B/C side is way too strong for the National League side and I think we'll see plenty of goals.

My selection of -2 means Spurs have to win by three or more goals and I think they have that in them.

Will Lankshear to be carded @ 15/2

One man who will be at the forefront of the queue when the goals are being 'handed out' is young striker Will Lankshear. The 19-year-old is expected to make a rare start for Spurs and I think it's one he will be keen to make an impression in.

I watched him in a similar sparse appearance in November, where he scored and then was subsequently sent off against Galatasaray in the Europa League.

Lankshear is rambunctious to say the least and loves to put himself about on the pitch. He possesses plenty of skill but will love a game like this against a team that is largely part-time.

Look out for a late challenge or a ridiculous shoulder barge off the ball and a caution being handed out. The price on offer looks on the attractive side to say the least.

Offers

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