Chelsea v Crystal Palace: Low scoring victory for league leaders likely

Chelsea 1.31 v Crystal Palace 13.50; The Draw 5.90
Saturday, 15:00

Chelsea

The Blues are on a relentless charge towards reclaiming the Premier League title after their extraordinary run. Chelsea have dropped just seven points in their last 22 league matches with only one defeat against Tottenham. No-one has been able to live with this consistency and Antonio Conte's side are champions elect with a 10-point cushion at the top.

All the stars that went missing last season, after falling out with Jose Mourinho, have returned to the peak of their powers with Diego Costa and Eden Hazard unplayable at times. The signing of N'Golo Kante from champions Leicester has been a masterstroke with the midfielder one of the most influential players in the competition. There are no weaknesses in the team and it is almost impossible to make a case for other teams catching Chelsea.

Crystal Palace

Sam Allardyce's arrival at the start of the year did not herald an initial upturn in form but the former England boss has worked his magic over the last month. The Eagles were in desperate need of victories and three successive wins, over Middlesbrough, West Brom and Watford, have taken them out of the relegation zone.

Crystal Palace are still not out of danger with the side four points above the bottom three but their situation is significantly better than at the end of February. Their recent success has been based on defensive strength with Palace keeping clean sheets in all three wins. Allardyce's organisational skills have come to the fore and it looks like the Eagles will have enough to stay up.

Match Odds

Chelsea are predictably short-priced favourites at just 1.31 and it is hard to argue against this even if there is no value in backing them. The Blues have won 12 of their 13 league matches at Stamford Bridge this season. Conte's side come in off the back of five consecutive victories and the league leaders should add to this tally.

Crystal Palace are rank outsiders for this clash and that is understandable considering they are travelling to the best team in the division. But the Eagles are on a winning run themselves and did pull off a 2-1 win at Chelsea last season. That said, it came against a very different proposition and it is difficult to imagine this year's Chelsea side suffering the same fate.

The draw is around the 5.90 mark but this also carries little appeal. The last 11 clashes between the sides have not produced a stalemate while Palace have not drawn in the league since Boxing Day. Chelsea have not been held in any home match this season and the hosts should claim another three points. But their prohibitive odds make them accumulator material and other markets are worth considering.

Over/Under 2.5 Goals

Even if Chelsea do win as expected, it may not be a high-scoring victory. Crystal Palace have not conceded in their last three matches and there have been under three goals in their last four games. The Blues were limited to a 1-0 win at Selhurst Park back in December and could be restricted to another narrow success. Under 2.5 goals looks generously priced at 2.10 and offers more value than a Chelsea win to nil.

Ref Watch

Craig Pawson takes charge of the game at Stamford Bridge with the referee sending off four players this season. Two of these red cards have come in the last four games though with West Ham's Michail Antonio dismissed recently.

Opta Stat

Christian Benteke has scored in four different Premier League games against Chelsea; against no side has he scored in more games in the competition. The Palace striker is 4.30 to score this weekend.

Recommended Bet

Back under 2.5 goals at 2.10