A Football Betting Guide to Chelsea (Back to Football Betting Guide Intro)
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Football Betting Prediction: Title Contender
Premier League Start: Chelsea 6, West Brom 0
The Strengths: How long do you have? Chelsea have an abundance of strength, which is why they will be one of the front runners for the Premier League again this season. They are a team which knows each other, as the likes of Drogba, Lampard and Essien have been around together for some time now. They have so many world class stalwarts, that they can turn on the goal scoring style when needed, but also dig deep and scrap to grind out results during trying times. Every team faces trying times during the season, as Chelsea did last season. It is to their credit, and boss Carlo Ancelotti that they came through to steal the Premier League title from under Manchester United’s nose. A strong run into the end of season got them home, including precious points against Liverpool and Man Utd themselves. Chelsea have lost players in the middle of the park, with Cole, Ballack and Deco departing, but in some ways have gained too. The completion of the signing of Brazilian Ramires will no doubt add an extra sparkle and quality to the midfield, while a fit again Michael Essien will be a massive boost for the Blues. Chelsea also drafted in Yossi Benayoun from Liverpool, although it is hard to see where he really fits into the picture other than a bit part player. The Stamford Bridge outfit can be assured of good goalkeeping, and they can bank on the goals of Drogba and Lampard throughout the season. With Nicolas Anelka looking the perfect fit when Drogba is sitting out, and with the growing consistency and abilities of Florent Malouda, Chelsea look pretty strong again. Carlo Ancelotti has given them an attacking edge which saw them score over 100 Premier League goals last season, and they have started the season with a bang. They will beat teams convincingly, but again the title race may come down to which of the top sides can take points off each other. Chelsea didn’t quite hit the highlights there, losing to Arsenal and Spurs, but they got the job done in the end. Chelsea went on some very long successful streaks of form last season, but it was interrupted with the Champions League. When they went out of the competition to Inter Milan, they never really looked back.
The Weaknesses: Defence. Plain and simple, Chelsea are not as good in defence as they have been over the years. John Terry is not at his prime anymore, and with Ricardo Carvalho going, the one area in which Chelsea are lacking is quality in the centre half position. At full back they are fine with Ashley Cole and Branislav Ivanovic, but in the centre there really are questions. It was this fragility, especially on long deliveries into the box, which caused Chelsea a lot of problems last year. There doesn’t seem to have been too much done to change that, with only Jose Bosingwa coming back to full fitness. But Alex, who is out injured anyway, has not quite looked the part, so maybe Ancelotti will see the need to stiffen up at the back. Can John Terry be classed as a weakness? He is a Stamford Bridge legend but he is not getting any younger, and he was never the fastest player to start with. Down the centre is where Chelsea will be vulnerable. With an aging side, the extra games of the Champions League could take its toll again. It seemed to hurt Chelsea a lot in the Premier League last season and there is not that much strength in depth to really change up the side like Alex Ferguson can at Old Trafford. Chelsea want success in Europe though and that is the price they will have to pay. If they lose Drogba and Lampard for a long period, their season could come crashing down, as Anelka really doesn’t really have that prolific touch about him to carry a title chasing team. Not sure if Chelsea really have made great improvements from last season, but it was a squad good enough to win the domestic double then, so why not bet on them for more success this year?
Chelsea Betting Home: Pretty much a banker. Chelsea winning at Stamford Bridge is almost a given. Sure there was the odd blot on the copy book last year, but when they start running riot with their goal fests, they are simply untouchable, no matter the opponents. Seventeen wins out of nineteen matches and just one defeat says it all about Chelsea. Expect them to go somewhere similar to that this season. A banker when they are playing at Stamford Bridge, even if it is not a goal fest every week, they are strong enough to scrap out 1-0 wins there too. They also scored 68 goals at home last year, conceding just 14. It’s hard to match that kind of goal scoring power when you travel there. Best football betting option is to look for things like anytime Goalscorer odds on Frank Lampard or Florent Malouda, or winning margin bets.
Chelsea Betting Away: Were particularly vulnerable away from home, against teams which you may not have expected to have caused them trouble. The problems, which resulted in five losses away from Stamford Bridge, were largely defending set pieces into the box, due to poor form from John Terry and goal keeper Petr Cech. It could well happen again, as the Chelsea defence is not outstanding. It is good, but not great. Teams will know this, and start bombarding them in the hope of getting a break through. Still, that having been said, Chelsea rolled out some magnificent performances away from home, notably the 3-0 win over Arsenal at the Emirates.
Chelsea Best Betting stats: Over 2.5 goals. A staggering 79% of Chelsea’s matches at home last year resulted in over 2.5 goals, and combined with their away stats, they rounded out to 71%. That is a very strong betting strategy to look at with Chelsea. They also did not fail to score in any of their home matches.
Chelsea Best Football Betting Odds
Premier League Outright: 13/8 at Bet365
Top Four Finish: 1/20 at Paddy Power
Top Goalscorer:
Didier Drogba: 1/3 at Victor Chandler
Nicolas Anelka: 6/1 at Blue Square
Frank Lampard: 7/1 at 888Sport
Season Points: Exactly 81-85 11/5 at Victor Chandler
First Premier League Defeat: Man City: 4/1 at BetFair
Win A Major Trophy: 4/7 at Totesport
Premier League and FA Cup Double: 12/1 a SkyBet
More betting information:
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