One glance at the Barclays Premier League table, and you'll see just how disappointing both Chelsea and Liverpool have been this year. Jose Mourinho and Brendan Rogers were managing these two teams respectively at the start of the year, but by the turn of 2016, both were gone and were replaced.
Liverpool will have a lot more to look forward to with Jurgen Klopp perhaps putting it on the verge of the Champions League via the Europa League Final to come in a couple weeks, but that won't kill off the luster of this match. The Reds still have a shot at the backdoor into the Europa League for next season if this year's match against Sevilla goes south, but that will require a win over Chelsea in all likelihood on Wednesday to keep that dream alive.
Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
Liverpool -110
Chelsea +300
Draw +260
Over/Under 2.5 (over -115)
ODDS ANALYSIS
Liverpool has something to play for. Chelsea doesn't. And all of that shows in the BPL betting lines in this match. The Reds are set as -110 favorites to take the three points, essentially making them a 50/50 proposition to claim all three points or to fail to get the maximum share of the spoils. Liverpool is just 7-7-3 this year at Anfield domestically, a mark which flat out isn't good enough, but Chelsea is just 7-4-7 on the road, a record which would've been impossible to project at the outset of the season.
The total is set at a tick above a flat 2.5, as the vig on the over has been set at -115.
KEY INJURIES
The frustration of this season for Chelsea could be seen on John Terry's face when he left the pitch against Sunderland last weekend. Terry picked up his second red card of the season and will be suspended for the rest of the year. In all likelihood, Terry has played his final match with the Blues.
Pedro, Loic Remy and Kurt Zouma will all miss this match as well in the penultimate match for Guus Hiddink in charge at Stamford Bridge.
Liverpool has plenty of injury woes as well, but it's really the depth of the team which is being tested more than the crucial players. Danny Ings has been out for a while, while Jordan Rossiter and Jordan Henderson have both been long-term injuries as well. Mamadou Sakho will likely never play for the club again after being suspended by UEFA in April for a failed blood test.
LIVE BETTING
Liverpool took care of Watford over the weekend to get back within one point of the crucial Top 7 and two of the Top 6. The Premier League will already put its fifth and sixth place teams in the Europa League next season thanks to the fact that the Capital One Cup winner, Manchester City, has already qualified for European play. If Manchester United wins the FA Cup as many suspect will be the case, the seventh place finisher will end up in the Europa Cup. That's why Liverpool, which now controls its own destiny to finish at least seventh best, will have to win this match.
Chelsea has been eliminated from European play for quite some time, and it really looks like it has given up on the season. There are some really good match results in here, but for every good win is a matching 3-2 loss to a team like Sunderland last week.
QUICK PICK
Without Terry in the fold, Chelsea will now be without its captain. The squad will be very, very young which makes the trip to Anfield, and we just can't see it competing with a team which has been flying all over the pitch for Klopp.
The Reds are right on the verge of being a truly special Premier League club once again, and if they can secure a Top 6 finish in the EPL this season and win that match against Sevilla to get into the Champions League after a disastrous start to the campaign, they could be set to become one of th world's elite again. Remember that Ings will be back next season, and the club has been tied to guys like Mario Goetze who could be real difference-makers.
But Klopp knows none of that is possible without European soccer. There are two paths to get there down the stretch, and he'll want to leave nothing to chance in the BPL for sure. We think this match is going to be a thrashing of epic proportions in the finale at Anfield.
BPL Odds: Liverpool 4, Chelsea 0
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone or tablet with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The fixture between Liverpool and Chelsea will take place on Wednesday, May 11, 2016, at 3:00 p.m. at Anfield. The game will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1.
