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Under 2.5 goals (-120)
Chelsea to have most corners (-175)
Jose Mourinho will come up against his former club when Spurs hosts Chelsea for an intriguing Premier League clash on Thursday.
The Portuguese manager won three Premier League titles during two spells with Chelsea, but owner Roman Abramovich ultimately fired him on both occasions. The Russian billionaire has dropped the axe on 12 managers since buying the club in 2003, costing himself around $165 million in compensation packages.
He demands instant success from his coaches, and he is quick to cut ties when the team has a bad run of results. Frank Lampard was the latest manager to feel Abramovich's wrath as he was fired on Jan. 25. Chelsea was ninth in the standings with just one win in its previous five league matches.
Abramovich had seen enough, and he swiftly brought in former PSG boss Thomas Tuchel to replace Lampard. It will be fascinating to see how the German coach fares against an astute tactician like Mourinho in a big London derby.
Tottenham Missing Kane
Chelsea drew 0-0 with Wolves in Tuchel's first game in charge and then beat Burnley 2-0 over the weekend. The Blues enjoyed 72 percent of the possession time in that game and restricted Burnley to just one shot on goal in the entire match.
If lifted Chelsea up to seventh in the table, level in points with Spurs, which has lost two games in a row. Tottenham looked like a genuine title contender after beating Arsenal at the start of December, but it has won just two of its nine Premier League games since then.
Mourinho will be desperate to turn things around. However, he will be missing star striker Harry Kane, who damaged both ankles in a 3-1 loss to Liverpool last week. Kane was badly missed during a limp 1-0 defeat against Brighton on Sunday, as Spurs barely threatened the Seagulls' defense.
Gareth Bale came in to replace Kane, but he proved largely ineffective, and his loan spell from Real Madrid has been underwhelming. Son Heung-Min will be Spurs' main scoring threat, but he has now gone five games without a goal.
Mourinho Parks the Bus
The match finished 0-0 when these teams met earlier this season. It was a classic Mourinho performance by Spurs, as it stifled Chelsea throughout the game. Chelsea had 61 percent of the possession time in that game, and Tottenham only had five shots on goal and one on target, but the Blues could not break through due to Spurs' relentless discipline and organization.
We could be in for another tight, tense and drab encounter on Thursday. Mourinho will be determined not to lose, but he may lack the firepower to really push for victory, so it is easy to imagine him being content with another 0-0 draw. This is known as "parking the bus" in front of the goal, a strategy Mourinho has perfected over the years.
Chelsea's performances during the first two games of Tuchel's reign suggest it will seek to dominate possession in this match, but the club could find it difficult to breach Tottenham's solid defense. It therefore could be decided by a moment of magic from a Chelsea player, or a swift break from Spurs.
BYU @ PORTLAND | 02/04 | 7:00 PM EST
BYU -19
ANALYSIS: Pilots leading scorer Ahmed Ali (ankle) missed Portland's last game, a 75-50 loss to Loyola Marymount, and the senior guard is a gametime decision tonight. In the first meeting, BYU won 95-67 despite Ali's presence (he scored 12 but averages 18.4). Look for the Cougars to improve to 6-1-1 ATS in their last eight road games.
3 - Blue Jackets +110 NHL 10* UNDERDOG OF MONTH
2 - Rangers -104 NHL VIOLATOR!
3 - Rockets/Grizz OVER 223.5 10* NBA O/U TOP GUN!
2 - Tennessee St +2 AFTERNOON CBB ANNIHILATOR
3 - Murray St/Morehead St OVER 129 CBB TOTAL OF MONTH
ARIZONA @ ST. LOUIS | 02/04 | 8:00 PM EST
ST. LOUIS -170
ANALYSIS: I was going to pass on this game if the Blues turned to backup netminder Ville Husso, which seemed like a possibility because Jordan Binnington has started all but two this year, but it will be Binnington in net Thursday so we'll back the Blues just as we did Tuesday when they beat the Coyotes 4-3. Binnington has won four straight starts and is 3-0-1 with a 2.45 GAA at home. Also as noted Tuesday, Arizona remains without one of its most important players in captain and blueliner Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Yotes are just 5-21 in their past 26 away.
+1780 22-3 IN LAST 25 NHL PICKS
+15 2-1 IN LAST 3 STL ML PICKS
12:05 PM
Picks For Thursday 02/04/21 Insider Sports Report 4* Morehead St. PK over Murray St. (NCAAB)
Range: +1.5 to -3 3* Utah/Atlanta OVER 224 (NBA)
Range: 222 to 226 3* Portland St. +3 over Montana (NCAAB)
Range: +5 to +1
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