Antonio Conte has insisted that his team continue to put the foot on the gas pedal and not give up needless points at this late stage of the season even though the EPL title feels like it's firmly in hand. The Blues have some tricky missions ahead of them, not the least of which will come on Monday night against West Ham in a London derby.
This EPL duel will go down Monday, March 6, 2017, at 3 p.m. ET at London Stadium. The match will be televised live on NBC Sports Network.
Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
West Ham +475
Chelsea -164
Draw +307
Over/Under 2.5
Odds Analysis
The Hammers are going to have one heck of a time trying to score in this match, but we know they're capable of doing damage in spite of their rather modest 5-3-5 record this term. They're +475 dogs and are expected to lose by a goal on the Asian Handicap, and that's why Chelsea is set at -164 on the moneyline and will firmly be expected to continue maintaining a double-digit point lead on the BPL table.
The total of 2.5 with -130 vig on the over is fairly standard at this level at this point, though again, we're talking about a Chelsea team that has allowed just 19 goals in 26 fixtures this year.
Key Injuries
All of the injuries are on the West Ham side of things. Andy Carroll has a continuing groin problem that cost him the last half hour of the match against Southampton. He's questionable at best for Monday, though having the couple extra days off could help him a bit. He's back in training, but again, that doesn't necessarily mean a heck of a lot.
That said, Diafra Sakho and Angelo Ogbonna aren't walking through those doors in London on Monday, while Michail Antonio has been suspended for this fixture after he picked up a red card against Watford last week.
Recent Form
Chelsea was awfully clinical last weekend against a poor Swansea City side, and if not for the blip just before halftime in which the Swans scored off of a set piece, this could have been a much bigger blowout than 3-1 ended up looking. The Blues did only get a point in their last away match though, that coming in a 1-1 draw against Burnley in a similarly tricky mission.
West Ham has both scored and been scored upon in three straight matches, and it has conceded at least once in 10 consecutive fixtures. Needless to say, the results haven't been the prettiest in that run, including a 1-1 draw at Watford and a 2-2 draw at home against West Brom in the club's last two matches.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
The Hammers just haven't been able to get this right all season long, and it's a miracle they're in the top half of the table at this point. With Carroll and Sakho bothered by injuries, the team really never seemed like it could get anything going forward in the first half of the year, but now all of a sudden, without Ogbonna in the fold and with Winston Reid and Jose Fonte in questionable form, the defense has looked shoddy, too. What is Slaven Bilic to do?
Chelsea doesn't have to bring its 'A-Game' across town to West Ham in this one to get three points, though it should be noted that a 'C-Game' could result in not getting any share of the spoils. In the end, getting Cesc Fabregas back in form and getting some goals again from Diego Costa will only end up helping this club pull away from the rest of the pack.
Perhaps in earlier years, the Blues might have let this lead slide in the EPL. This team though, seems to smell blood in the water, and we suspect we'll see Chelsea pick up three more points with ease on Monday night.
EPL Odds: Chelsea 2, West Ham 0
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