Chelsea at Arsenal EPL Soccer Odds & Betting Preview

The pace of the games in the English Premier League is speeding up, and the top four teams in the table are jammed tight in the standings. When Chelsea visits Arsenal in a London derby on Wednesday night, Chelsea has the chance to push 10 points ahead of the Gunners, so if Arsenal wants to get closer to the top, they need to pick up this home win. Take a look at our Soccer odds preview for this EPL clash.

Chelsea at Arsenal EPL Soccer Odds & Betting Preview

One day to go… #ARSCHE pic.twitter.com/OtW5Op9PkW

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 2, 2018

When: Wednesday, January 3, 2018, 7:45pm GMT Where: Emirates Stadium, London TV: Sky Sports Premier League Radio: None Live Stream: SkyGo EPL Soccer Odds: Chelsea (8/5)

Why should you bet on the Blues?

Chelsea ride in on a 13-match unbeaten streak. In their last match, they obliterated Stoke City with a 5-0 win. In that rout, they didn’t even have to put Eden Hazard on the field, so one of their top stars comes into the derby with fresh legs. Given the fact that Chelsea did not face any real stress against Stoke — while Arsenal had to expend a lot more effort against West Brom — the whole team should come in more fresh than their counterparts. After this game, things get easier for the Blues, so they could use this as a momentum bump as they look to catch Manchester City. They have a tough slog to go to catch City and win the league title, but three points against the Gunners would go a long way. After that easy rout, I see them putting the hammer down and pushing hard against an Arsenal team that may still be upset about what happened against West Brom.

Why should you put your money on the Gunners?

Arsenal looked like they were heading to a win on New Year’s Eve, as they led West Brom 1-0. However, West Brom were able to tie the game on a penalty thanks to a controversial handball called by referee Mike Dean, and the game ended in a 1-1 tie. Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger is still complaining about that call, as Arsenal were looking to turn around some negative momentum. Overlooked in the controversy around the draw was a terrific free kick from Alexis Sanchez, which found a deflection from James McClean to get the Gunners on the board first. When Sanchez scored his first goal of the season against Crystal Palace, his team appeared to give him the cold shoulder, which appeared to hint at some poor chemistry in their locker room. However, his team gathered around him after his sensational free kick, showing that the chemistry may have improved. Arsenal had put in three goals apiece against Crystal Palace and Liverpool, so that one-goal show against West Brom may have been an aberration. But can the Gunners find the net against Chelsea?

Expert Pick and Final Prediction

In their last five matchups, the two teams have drawn twice, Arsenal has won twice (2-1 and 3-0) and Chelsea has won once (3-1). The lengthy unbeaten streak that Chelsea has right now gives them the edge in terms of momentum. Also, Chelsea has the extra day of rest as opposed to Arsenal, and that extra day can lead to fresher legs. As far as the final score of the game goes, I like Chelsea to emerge with a 2-1 result. There are some other side bets that you should consider. For example, Chelsea sits at 3/1 odds in combination with both sides scoring — and both sides have the offense to find the back of the net at least once. Some other side bets include picking the first goal scorer of the match. Alvaro Morata (4/1) and Alexandre Lacazette (5/1) are the two favorites. For me, the top pick is Chelsea emerging with both sides tallying at least one goal, with Chelsea netting three more points in their attempt to defend their EPL title.