The cationic lanthanide complexes of two neutral tripodal N,O ligands, tpa (tris[(2-pyridyl)methyl]amine) and tpaam (tris[6-((2-N,N-diethylcarbamoyl)pyridyl)methyl]amine) are studied in water. The analysis of the proton lanthanide induced NMR shifts indicate that there is no abrupt structural change in the middle of the rare-earth series. Unexpectedly, the formation constant values of the lanthanide podates of tpaam and tpa in D2O at 298 K are similar, suggesting that the addition of the three amide groups to the ligand tpa does not lead to any increase in stability of the lanthanide complexes of tpaam in respect to tpa, even though the amide groups are coordinated to the metal in aqueous solution. The measurement of the enthalpy and entropy changes of the complexation reactions shows that the two similar ligands tpa and tpaam have different driving forces for lanthanide complexation. Indeed, the formation of tpa podates benefits from an exothermic enthalpy change associated with a small entropy change, whereas the complexation reaction with tpaam is clearly entropy-driven though opposed by a positive enthalpy change. The hydration states of the europium complexes were measured by luminescence and show the coordination of 4-5 water ligands in [Eu(tpa)]3+ whereas there are only 2 in [Eu(tpaam)]3+. Therefore the heptadentate ligand tpaam releases the translational entropy of more water molecules than does the tetradentate ligand tpa.