The champs still look nothing like the champs. The good news for Chelsea though, is that the team is off to mark after beating West Brom 3-2 last week on the road.
The bad news? A home date with Crystal Palace looks like anything but a lock on Saturday.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Blues are comfortably the -300 favorites in this fixture, making them a goal and a half favorite on the Asian Handicap. On better days, Chelsea would be laying -2, and it very well could prove that that's where it should have been lined when these 90 minutes are up.
Thanks to the inflated spread, the total is lined at 3 with vig on the under at a tremendous -133.
KEY INJURIES
New signee Baba Rahman didn't make his debut with the team against West Brom last week, but he is expected to be ready for this one. Both Victor Moses and Oscar are likely not going to see the pitch in this match as well, while John Terry has been suspended for the duel following his red card against the Baggies last weekend.
The injury list looks substantive for the Eagles, but most of these injuries are matters which Alan Pardew has been dealing with all year. The only new issue is that Patrick Bamford is unable to play in this fixture due to the fact that he is currently on loan from Chelsea.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"I've had an incredible reception at Chelsea. John Terry is an exemplary captain who has treated me very well since I arrived." – New Chelsea striker Pedro on his sudden and stunning move to Stamford Bridge last week
RECENT FORM
It's easy to forget now that Chelsea allowed just 32 goals last season in the Premier League, giving it one of the best defenses we have seen in quite some time.
The Blues though, have already let seven in with just three matches down. Better form will be ahead at some point, but a 2-2 draw with Swansea, a 3-0 drubbing at Man City and a 3-2 escape from The Hawthorns at West Brom was not the ideal start to the season for the defending champions.
CP has two wins to show for its first three matches as well. It's tough to say that this was an undeserved set of results either. Palace probably shouldn't have gotten anything from its day of work against Arsenal at home on August 16. Surrounding that though, were a road win at newcomer Norwich and a 2-1 triumph over Aston Villa last weekend.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
This match is all about the new strikers for each side. Pedro was the perfect signee for a Chelsea team which so badly needed a wing forward to pair up with Diego Costa. Bakary Sako was an immediate plug-and-play forward for Pardew as well.
Both teams got a goal from their new striker last weekend, and both might be expecting the same here at Stamford Bridge.
At some point though, the Blues have to come up with a great defensive match. It sure doesn't feel like this should be the day against one of the sneakiest offenses in the Premier League, one which has a knack for stealing goals against the big boys, even on the road. Matters might be made worse with Terry out of the lineup, but we just don’t see it that way.
Look for Jose Mourinho to devise a game plan hell bent on holding possession, and when that happens, Crystal Palace will get frustrated and will ultimately concede at least twice, if not more.
Chelsea 2, Crystal Palace 0
BookMaker has Barclays Premier League lines for every match of the season. Chelsea is lined as a -300 moneyline favorite, while the total is set at 3. 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.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The fixture between Chelsea and Crystal Palace is scheduled for Saturday, August 29, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. ET at Stamford Bridge.
