Chelsea in the last few years have been highly unpredictable team – too much quality to ever be written off, but not enough consistency to be relied upon for a win in any game.
That’s what has made them such a good team to bet on – the bookies often can’t quite tell which way the wind is blowing. Sites like 1red will give you good odds to back against the Blues, but if you’re really plugged in to things at the club, you can often tell when they’re going to slip up unexpectedly.
This week’s EFL Cup semi final first leg was a great example – Chelsea were at home against Arsenal. The odds should have been pretty even, given the Gunners are one of the best and most consistent sides in Europe right now, but with the Blues playing at Stamford Bridge.
However, if you were really paying attention you would have seen the hints from new manager Liam Rosenior in the build-up to the game that the likes of Reece James and Cole Palmer weren’t going to play.
You might also have sensed that, despite all their denials, it’s pretty clear that the club are restricting the manager’s choices when it comes to picking teams. And their focus is on the league and getting back into the top four. While supporters wanted their team to go full strength against the Gunners and try to win the cup, the club are wanting to keep players fit and fresh for a game against Brentford at the weekend.
So what do we predict in these upcoming games? We were so outmatched by Brentford at set pieces in our last game against them that it’s hard to back us now. But the bookies saw that too and will have adjusted the odds accordingly. Maybe the play is actually to back Chelsea, with players like James and Palmer fresh and rested, to get into gear and beat the Bees? It would justify the midweek decisions, to an extent.
After that we have Paphos in the Champions League, then Crystal Palace, who are about to lose Marc Guehi and are already struggling. It’s a tempting run.
If you’re feeling bold, and believe in the Rosenior project, you could back 3 wins on the spin for his Chelsea team, and really get some nice odds. Watching such an unpredictable team, with money on the line, is bound to be a major thrill.
