Chelsea vs Crystal Palace - Premier League preview and odds

Published on: 31/03/2017

Premier League preview and odds: Chelsea vs Crystal Palace

April 01, 2017 15:00pm - Stamford Bridge

Premier League

Chelsea`s bid to make it 10 Premier League home wins in a row will be challenged by an in-form Crystal Palace when the two teams meet at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon.

League leaders looking for positive return after international break

Last time out, Chelsea left it until the 87th minute to grab a 2-1 victory away to Stoke City. That win ensured that they entered the international break with a 10-point lead over their nearest rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

The Blues have now won 19 of their last 22 Premier League matches and their last nine in a row on home soil. Since the end of September, they have lost just one Premier League match (Tottenham) and look well on course to bag the league title with room to spare.

Meanwhile, opponents Crystal Palace have finally started to pick up results under seasoned survivalist Sam Allardyce. The Eagles have won their last three in a row without conceding a goal including a 0-2 away win at eighth-ranked West Bromwich Albion.

Much of their improvement can be put down to the loan signing of Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho whose inclusion has coincided with their recent winning run. However, the Londoners have yet to earn a single point from any of their clashes against top six teams this season.

Team news

The home side will be without Victor Moses (calf strain), John Terry (knock) and Eden Hazard (calf strain).

Meanwhile, the visitors will have to makes do without James McArthur (knock), Patrick van Aanholt (ankle ligament), Loic Remy (muscular), Mathieu Flamini (muscular), Connor Wickham (knee ligament), Steve Mandanda (knee), Jonathan Benteke (meniscus) and Pape Souare (surgery).

Recent form (League)

Chelsea: WWWDW

Crystal Palace: WWWLL

Betting odds and tips

While Chelsea can be expected to prevail in this game, Palace should at least make it a competitive encounter. They have improved dramatically in recent weeks, especially at the back. The Blues are also very good in the defensive area, so a low score line should be expected. As a result, the Under 2.5 Total Goals bet looks like a good option with home wins of 1-0 or 2-0 also providing tempting odds.

You can back Chelsea/Under 2.5 Goals at 23/10, while Chelsea 1-0 can be backed at 11/2 and Chelsea 2-0 can be backed at 5/1 with Bet365.

By Neil Morris

Published on: 31/03/2017

Any odds displayed within this preview were correct at the time of publishing (31/03/2017 16:00:23) but are subject to change.