Chelsea vs. Burnley odds: Take the under as Blues defense takes pressure off

After what felt like an international break, Chelsea returns against Burnley at Stamford Bridge. With all the rumors, transfers, and gossip that occurs during a January window, the hardest thing to predict is how that will affect those on the field.

Frank Lampard has done a good job of keeping it real in his press conferences and letting his players and fans know what’s going on. Yesterday he was as straight forward anyone can about Olivier Giroud’s prospective transfer; he ruled out Andreas Christensen leaving Chelsea; and spoke of a role for Pedro. He also cut himself no slack in saying Chelsea took 50 shots in the three home games they lost to bottom half teams and how “we need to find that killer instinct in front of goal because… we’re controlling big parts of games but we’re allowing teams to stay in them.”

Burnley are another of those bottom half teams. They no longer have Danny Drinkwater in their XI, and this will undoubtedly leave a massive hole in the Clarets’ midfield.

I am kidding, of course. I couldn’t help myself. But seriously, Burnley is more often than not a tough team to play. And that’s not what Chelsea want to hear as Frank Lampard looks for that killer instinct.

Chelsea has lost three of their last four Premier League matches at home, only beating Aston Villa 2-1. Burnley average a point a match on the road, which for them isn’t too bad.

The Blues are currently -350 and Burnley holding down a solid +1000 to win. It would be a considerable upset for the odds makers if Burnley wins. The spread is currently a whopping -2 for Chelsea, which caught me a bit off guard. I figured it wouldn’t get that far until closer to match time. Since it started so high, it probably will drop by the time you’re reading this.

It’s getting hard to predict where Chelsea’s goals are going to come from, especially with Tammy Abraham cooling off a bit. Someone has to step up for the Blues if they want to get the three points in front of their fans.

The over / under of 2.5 is currently taking more action on the over, which is quite surprising. In all competitions, there have been two goals or fewer scored in five of the last six Chelsea matches.

I can’t see this match having more than two goals, and yes, I am aware the last time they met the scoreline was 4-2 with the Blues taking the three points. But that was a fluid and free Chelsea, not the one who, over the last six matches, have struggled to impose themselves on their opposition.

The two most likely score lines are 2-0 or 1-0, both Chelsea. If Burnley sneaks a draw, it will be because Chelsea once again couldn’t finish them off when they had the chance.

The pressure is starting to mount on some of the youth, and it’s beginning to show, particularly on offence. The team over the last month has struggled to score and put teams away. I think the defense will really step up and take a bit of the pressure off the attacking players.

The Blues need to push for as many points as possible in January because they have a very tough schedule in February and March. Littered with tough Premier League matches and Bayern Munich in Champions League, these games are there chance to build a buffer above whoever is chasing them for a top-four spot.

This fixture is a good chance for Callum Hudson-Odoi to step up and claim a spot. Calling it: Chelsea wins 2-0 with Tammy Abraham and Hudson-Odoi to score.