No team has been a bigger disappointment through the first quarter of the Premier League season than has Chelsea. The defending champs were projected to be the best team in England this year, but all of a sudden, these matches against teams like Aston Villa don't seem like complete locks.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Blues are favored in this match, but there has to be some real trepidation here for bettors after such an awful start to the season. Chelsea is still a -300 choice on the moneyline and is favored by a goal and a half on the Asian Handicap.
Understandably with a spread this high and Chelsea's struggles on defense of late, the total is somewhat high by EPL standards. The number to beat is still just 2.5, but the vig is a whopping -140 on the over, proving that this one could hit 3 if bettors play the over throughout the week.
KEY INJURIES
Jose Mourinho's season hasn't really been marred by that many injuries, when you think about it. Yes, Thibaut Courtois is out with a knee problem until December, but aside from that, there really haven't been any major problems at Stamford Bridge.
Villa really isn't in bad injury shame either. Adama Traore and Tiago Ilori are going to be worth watching throughout the week, but by all accounts, the week off should see these two men end up getting back in the lineup.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"Of course we all back him, of course we are all around him. Through tough times, we all need to stick together and turn it around together. We've not lost a bit of trust in Jose. We are all together." – Chelsea defender Gary Cahill on the support for Jose Mourinho early in the year
RECENT FORM
Chelsea's struggles have been well-documented, but the week off should really help its cause. The last we saw the Blues, they were getting crushed by Southampton at home 3-1 and Porto on the road in the Champions League 2-1. It's tough to believe that Chelsea's last win came against Walsall on September 23.
Four straight Premier League matches have gone against the Villains early on in the season. They have allowed at least one goal in all 14 matches they have played thus far this year, including in the preseason, though it should be noted that the team probably had its best defensive effort against Stoke City in its last match in a 1-0 loss.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
For as bad as Chelsea has played, this should be the get better match. A month ago, the Blues probably would have been favored by a full two goals, and we think they would have covered that as well.
Having this time off has given Mourinho time to get Chelsea back together again, and though its defense could struggle just a bit, there should be enough issues at the back for Tim Sherwood and Aston Villa for the Blues to ultimately get back to their winning ways.
Aston Villa has played with three men at the back, four men at the back and five men at the back, and no matter who is back there, issues have been had.
Expect to see Diego Costa have the best day of his season up from for the Blues alongside Pedro, as there should be plenty of openings for strikes on target. This will be Chelsea's day for success up front.
Chelsea 4, Aston Villa 1
BookMaker has English Premier League lines for every match of the season. Chelsea is lined as a -300 moneyline favorite, while the total is set at 2.5. You can make a futures bet and predict the champion, wager on head-to-head matchups or use BookMaker’s live betting feature to gamble while the match is happening.
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