Leeds United vs. Tottenham: The best player prop bets for Feb. 26

One of the most intriguing matches on the Premier League slate this week takes place at Elland Road as Leeds United welcome Tottenham Hotspur. The managers for both clubs are in danger of cracking under the pressure for very different reasons. Antonio Conte’s Tottenham have lost four of their last five league games and are at risk of throwing away a chance at a top four spot, while Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds have lost seven of their last 10 games and are just three points away from the relegation zone.

Tottenham are the road favorites in this fascinating clash, and here are the three best player prop bets for the big game.

Harry Kane to score in the first half (+250)

Leeds have the worst defensive record in the Premier League, so it makes sense to start with a Tottenham goalscorer. The Yorkshire side have conceded a huge 56 goals this season, an eye-watering average of 2.2 goals a game. That goes up to 3.5 goals a game if you consider the 11 matches Leeds have played against top half sides this season.

In the last four league matches Leeds have conceded a whopping 10 first half goals. In February they went in at halftime 3-2 down to Aston Villa, 2-0 down to Everton, 2-0 down to Manchester United, and 3-0 down to Liverpool. Go back further, and Leeds have conceded at least one first half goal in eight of their last 10 matches.

Tottenham will want to come out and prove a point after a disappointing loss against Burnley in mid-week, and Harry Kane can lead them from the front. Kane has seven goals this year, with the majority of them coming on the road (71%). He’s also scored five of those seven goals in the first half.

Kane has a first half goal in four of the Spurs' last 10 games, and this match offers another huge chance for him to find the net in the opening 45 minutes.

Son Heung-min to give an assist (+275)

Continuing the theme of Tottenham finding the net two or three times in this game, it makes sense to bet on Son Heung-min getting an assist. The South Korean star leads Spurs in assists this year, and has four in his last nine league matches.

Backing Kane to score also lends a positive to this bet, as the two have combined for 36 goals in total in the Premier League – an English record.

Son is at the heart of a lot of Tottenham’s creativity going forward, and this season he has averaged 2.1 key passes a game – that is the final pass leading to a shot at goal. Bruno Fernandes, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Kevin De Bruyne are the only top flight players who average more key passes a game this season.

Given how weak Leeds are defensively and how a lot of Tottenham’s good play goes through Son, backing him at +275 for an assist looks like a smart play.

Raphinha to score in the second half (+550)

One of the more optimistic plays of the weekend might be on Raphinha to score in the second half. The Leeds man has been one of the few glimmers of hope for the team this season with nine goals in 22 league games.

The Brazilian was benched for the game against Manchester United with the rumor circulating that it was because he didn’t provide enough defensive cover, however he came off the bench and scored in the second half to prove to Bielsa that he’s still Leeds’ most important player.

Despite being on a disastrous run of form, the way Leeds set up always presents them with chances, and in the last six games they’ve scored 12 goals – 58% of which have come after the break. In total, 60% of Leeds’ goals at Elland Road this season have come in the second half, and they’ve found the net after the break in eight of their last 12 games.

There are question marks over Spurs defensively. They’ve not kept a clean sheet in any of their last six games and have conceded in 75% of their away games this season.

Six of Raphinha’s nine goals this season have come at Elland Road, so hopefully spurred on by a passionate 30,000 plus he can grab a goal on Saturday – even if it is just a consolation.