Tottenham at QPR: 10 Bold Predictions When Spurs Visit Loftus Road

As they have been for the last two months, Tottenham is floundering.

We're just five weeks away from the end of the 2011-12 season and the lads of White Hart Lane are tied with Newcastle United for the fourth-place spot in the league table.

Spurs do, however, hold a significant advantage in goal differential over the Toon which might be the key to securing the last spot in next year's Champions League, but (no offense to Alan Pardew & Company) who wants to be tied with Newcastle United for anything?

Up next for Tottenham is a trip to Loftus Road to face Queens Park Rangers. The newly promoted club might be the newly relegated club if they keep up their current form. The Super Hoops are just two points above the relegation zone and have tough tests coming up against Spurs, Chelsea and Manchester City. They're a dismal 5-5-7 at home and could be just what the doctor ordered for Tottenham's woeful ways this spring.

Harry Redknapp needs a win to make it through the weekend hanging on to fourth-place. Will they get it? Will they even score? They may have only won five games at home, but QPR's only given up 1.4 goals per match when playing at Loftus Road.

Join me as I predict all that and more with my latest set of bold predictions for when Tottenham visits Queens Park Rangers this Saturday.

William Gallas Won't Be Anywhere Near Spurs' Bench

I don't have enough room on this slide to tell you just how poor William Gallas was in Tottenham's FA Cup semifinal match against Chelsea.

If you didn't see the French defender's "effort" against the Blues, now's not the time to watch the replay. Suffice it to say, the 34-year-old was gassed by the beginning of the second half and displayed some of the poorest play at centre-back I've seen this year—and I watch third- and fourth-tier English football matches.

Not the boldest of predictions, but it needs to be said.

Aaron Lennon Won't Start

Gareth Bale's complement on the right sideline made a few poor decisions on Sunday and didn't put forth the kind of effort needed to keep attention on him and away from the middle of the field where Scott Parker and Luka Modric were trying to make some things happen.

I just don't think Lennon did enough against Chelsea (or against Norwich City, for that matter) to take the start away from Rafael van der Vaart.

I wanted the young winger to do it, but he's shown he just isn't ready.

Gareth Bale Ends Dry Spell

The last time Welsh standout Gareth Bale scored a goal in league play was January 31 against Wigan Athletic.

Sure, the winger has scored two goals in between then and now, but they were in FA Cup play against Bolton and Chelsea, respectively. Against league opponents with league results on the line, Bale hasn't shown the kind of brilliance he did earlier in the season.

I predict that on Saturday, all that's going to change—and it'll happen very, very quickly after the opening whistle blows.

...Before the 10th Minute Elapses

Yea, that quickly.

In their last 10 matches, Queens Park Rangers has let in an astounding seven goals in the first 33 minutes. They're vulnerable to the quick-strike and there's no one who counters better than Gareth Bale.

He'll collect his 10th goal of the season before the 10th minute elapses.

...and Again Before Halftime!

Oh, didn't see that bold prediction coming, eh?!

Bale loves scoring in bunches, giving Tottenham three multi-goal efforts. One was against Wigan Athletic, another against Norwich City and the third was against...oh, who was it? Oh, yes.

Queens Park Rangers.

When Spurs hosted the Super Hoops on October 30, Bale scored in the 20th and 72nd minutes. He'll do it again, except this time it won't take so long.

Queens Park Rangers Won't Get Shot Off in Second Half

There's been a trend among Queens Park Rangers' offense in recent matches—it's getting worse as the season winds down.

In their last five matches, the Super Hoops have averaged just 3.0 shots on goal per match, with more than two-thirds of their shots coming in the first half.

Joey Barton and his teammates lose luster as the season, and games, get closer to the end. It'll be no different on Saturday as Tottenham (or, rather, Gareth Bale) builds a 2-0 halftime lead and QPR implodes.

Someone's Seeing Red

With his Queens Park Rangers down 2-0 and the minutes painfully ticking off the clock, someone's going to lose their cool—either the hot-headed Joey Barton or the uncontrollable Scott Parker.

The two clubs combined for 26 fouls in their first meeting.

With Champions League aspirations in Tottenham's mind and relegation fears in Queens Park Rangers', things could very well get ugly in what will be a physical match.

Adebayor Won't Score

Emmanuel Adebayor was a force to be reckoned with in Tottenham's last meeting with Queens Park Rangers, firing off a salvo of six shots on goal and constantly on the edge of offside.

He'll be a force to be reckoned with on the attack, but he won't score and his dry spell will extend into three league games without a goal or an assist.

Friedel Will Earn His 13th Clean Sheet of Season

Brad Friedel, I don't know how you keep hustling Father Time out of more years in the top-tier of English football, but Spurs fans are hoping you don't stop anytime soon!

The 40-year-old Friedel has collected 12 clean sheets this season and was on his way to winning this season's Golden Glove until Tottenham couldn't hold on to blank such "powerhouse" opponents such as Everton and Wolverhampton.

No matter, Friedel won't be this season's best goalkeeper, but he'll add to his handful of clean sheets against a Queens Park Rangers offense that is averaging just 1.1 goals per game.

Sorry, Super Hoops fans.

Tottenham Will Win 2-0

Sure, a 2-0 win by Tottenham isn't the boldest of predictions, but if you factor in that Spurs have had just one multi-goal game since March 4, it gets a little bit more daring.

Will Tottenham get something out of Saturday's match against Queens Park Rangers? Yes.

Will it be three points? You betcha.

Will they win a match by two goals for just the second time since the January transfer window closed? That's my bold prediction.

But these are what I think will happen when Tottenham travels to Queens Park Rangers. Comment below and let me know yours!