Sunderland vs Chelsea Betting Odds, Preview & Tips – Tuesday, February 1st

Premier League Betting

Sunderland v Chelsea Betting Tip & Odds: This becomes a tough one to call. Sunderland are on the rise and rise, even though they have lost Darren Bent, and Chelsea are still getting back into their groove. This is a tough away match for Carlo Ancelotti’s men though, as Sunderland have played some great football this year, and have shown their mettle against tough opposition. Will Chelsea be able to enact some revenge for the heavy defeat Sunderland handed them at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season. Will Fernando Torres be playing for Chelsea? If he is, then Chelsea will automatically be more of a threat. They are still the better team than Sunderland, but the Black Cats, with their tight unit and solid defence, could nick it, even though they are light up front. A draw really isn’t out of the question, so let’s head for an Asian Handicap for coverage. Chelsea -0.75 Asian Handicap for 7/8 at Bet365 looks like a solid, decent value bet. It’ll pay out a half win for 1 goal margin on Chelsea, full payout on 2 goals.

Sunderland to win: 9/2 at Bet365
Draw: 14/5 at Bwin
Chelsea to win: 7/10 at Paddy Power

EPL Match Preview: Will Chelsea have Fernando Torres by the time they take to the field against Sunderland on Tuesday night? The Blues are looking more and more likely to get the unsettled Spanish striker, who had a transfer requested rejected by the club. However, Liverpool are looking more and more likely to cash in on Torres, but only if Chelsea stump up the £50 million asking price. There could well be a part deal, with Nicolas Anelka going back to Anfield in a player plus package deal. Torres would be exactly what Chelsea need to get their season going again. With Didier Drogba looking just a bit off the pace and out of sorts this season (until the last few games), along with Anelka, who has not been firing at all, Chelsea need someone who can convert their chances. A partnership of Drogba and Torres up front would probably terrify a lot of defenses in the league. Is it too late for Chelsea to mount a Premier League title challenge though? You would seriously think so, and it all looks to be out of their hands right now, as they are sitting a massive ten points back of leaders Manchester United. Surely that is just far too much ground to make up, but at least they do appear to be getting their confidence and rhythm back a bit, and their 4-0 victory over Bolton at the Reebok Stadium on January 24th, was a welcome relief to the Chelsea fans,  who have grown to be accustomed to seeing the Blues run up plenty of goals. Their incredibly poor run of form though, has left them probably just fighting for a Champions League place, but if Torres does arrive at Stamford Bridge, then at least it will be a positive move forward for them.

Chelsea’s season really came of the rails when Sunderland went to Stamford Bridge and completely outplayed, outworked and outclassed the home side. The Black Cats came away with a shock 3-0 victory, and that was something which Chelsea really had a hard time recovering from. The Blues need to enact some revenge here, and three points at the Stadium of Light for them would be huge, and would be another shot of confidence for them. It’s not going to be easy, as Sunderland have a great home record, and Chelsea will have to work hard, an area of their game which has let them down at times this season. They simply haven’t been willing to mix it up when things haven’t been going their way, and that has allowed teams to get at them. Chelsea actually don’t have a spectacularly good record away at Sunderland, winning on just 29% of their visits there down the years. They are also averaging just 1.2 goals per match up north as well. However, that having been said, Chelsea have won on their last five visits to Sunderland, so they have been in good shape up there. You look down the list of Premier League fixtures and see 3-0 score lines, 4-0, 5-0, 7-2 score lines in Chelsea’s favour, so they have had the large upper hand lately. The bad defeat which they suffered at Stamford Bridge, should serve as all the inspiration they need to go and put in a strong performance.

There will be no Darren Bent on show for Sunderland of course, as he made the strange decision to move to the struggling Aston Villa. Sunderland are a very good side this season, hard working and play as a very tight unit. Manager Steve Bruce has really instilled a sense of consistency in them, and they come into this match on the back of a four match unbeaten run in the league. They have rocketed up to sixth in the league, and at the start of play, they will be just four points behind Chelsea, and so they have a lot to play for. They are not going to need too much of an inspirational and motivational talk from the boss, as they have proven that they beat the best this season. Sunderland have actually lost one game fewer than what Chelsea have, but the difference is in the goal scoring department, and this may make the difference on the day. Chelsea have hit 42 league goals, while Sunderland have scored just 28. How much will they be hurting from the departure of Darren Bent? Well, he has been a proven goal scorer for them, but Sunderland do have the exciting Asamoah Gyan and Danny Welbeck to turn to and in the immediate match played after Bent’s departure, Sunderland went on and beat Blackpool away from home, apparently not skipping a beat.

The strengths of Sunderland are in the midfield and how well they stick together at the back. They have a very good defensive record, better than Tottenham and almost on par with Arsenal. They are making a great name for themselves this season, and will look to add another feather to their cap by doing the double over the defending Premier League Champions. They have home advantage and they will give a good account of themselves. If they turn out a high paced game, then the less than solid Chelsea back line will probably have another long evening, even though they still have the best defensive record in the league. With the right attitude, Sunderland can win this game, and incredibly be on the brink of a Champions League place. They have captured the signature of Stephane Sessengon, a French midfielder who could put in an appearance against the Blues. There are good vibes at Sunderland at the moment, and that strong home record is there to be seen. They have lost just once at the Stadium of Light this season, and that was a slip up against Blackpool in December. They are strong, and this is a real test of their top six credentials. However, you feel that on the day, Chelsea should still just edge things, the Blues have a point to prove to many, including themselves, and if Torres just happens to be in the picture, then things could really be looking rosy for the Blues up north. When it comes down to taking chances, Chelsea should be out front in this one, they will have learnt their lessons, they will just need to get a firmer grip of the midfield.

Online Bookmaker Promotion: Perhaps Sunderland would be happy walking away with a 0-0 point from this one. It would certainly keep them chugging along nicely for the top six. If you have a bet on any goal scorer market at Stan James for this match, and the game ends up 0-0, the popular online bookmaker will refund your lost stake as a free bet. Will Sunderland’s tight defence stand firm? Will Chelsea’s forwards be misfiring again? Check out Stan James for your football betting, and look at the goal scorer markets there for this bit of coverage. For new customers to Stan James, you can get a £25 free bet on a new account, to use to your advantage on their great sports book.

Sunderland v Chelsea Premier League Betting Statistics

Last 5 Head to Head
Chelsea 0, Sunderland 3
Chelsea 7, Sunderland 2
Sunderland 1, Chelsea 3
Sunderland 2, Chelsea 3
Chelsea 5, Sunderland 0

Sunderland have an 50% win percentage at home in the league this season
Chelsea have a 33% win percentage away from home in the league this season

Sunderland are on a streak of 2 home games with no defeat
Chelsea are on a streak of 3 away games with no draw

Sunderland have scored 15 goals, and conceded 8 at home
Chelsea have scored 18 and conceded 12 goals in their away matches

Sunderland average 1.2 goals per match at home this season
Chelsea average 1.5 goals per match away from home this season

Sunderland have scored the bulk of their goals in the 76-90 minute bracket
Chelsea have scored the majority of their goals in the 76-90 minute bracket

Sunderland have opened the scoring in 45% of their matches
Chelsea have scored first in 56% of their matches

Sunderland 2010/11 top scorer: Gyan, 7
Chelsea 2010/11 top scorer: Drogba, 10

Sunderland 2010/11 Season Form: P24 W9 D10 L5 GF28 GA24 Pts 37 (6th)
Chelsea 2010/11 Season Form: P23 W12 D5 L6 GF42 GA19 Pts 9 (19th)