Chelsea’s 6-0 drubbing of Southampton at the weekend wasn’t much of a consolation given last week’s results against Brentford and Real Madrid, but it was fun to watch nonetheless. Hopefully, the Blues will carry some form of momentum over from the win at St. Mary’s into the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal fixture in the Spanish capital. Completing a 3-1 comeback will be a daunting task for Thomas Tuchel and his men, but with the way this season has gone so far, nothing would surprise me anymore.
The final goal of last week’s first leg was incredibly frustrating, especially because of the manner in which it was conceded, and also because it conclusively wrecked my prediction of a careful, cagey affair. I certainly won’t make the same mistake this time with a spot in the UCL semifinals on the line. It seems that the oddsmakers agree with me at least a little bit, due to the number of plus signs on the betting board for this match generally. I’m always nervous when anything could happen going into a game, but maybe that’s exactly what Chelsea needs at this moment. I’ll just try to make some money along the way.
Here are some great betting picks ahead of kickoff in Chelsea at Real Madrid
I never love to bet on any side advancing to the next round in a cup tournament, and I certainly won’t be changing that now with a two-goal deficit looming over the Blues. With that being said, I think taking Chelsea on the moneyline for this second leg is a pretty smart play. The Club World Cup Champions won the decisive tie in two of the three knockout rounds during their run to European glory last season, including a 2-0 victory over Los Blancos in the semifinal. Of course, this is a new team in a completely different season, but Tuchel has proven more than capable of inspiring his squad to a special performance on the biggest stage.
The biggest dilemma facing Chelsea for this second leg is the team’s general lack of goalscoring, as it has been for most of the campaign. Romelu Lukaku has already been deemed unfit to play against the Spanish champion elect, so Kai Havertz will once again be thrust into the No. 9 role; a position he looks more comfortable in with each passing match. The silky German won’t be able to mount a comeback by himself, though, so I’ll definitely be monitoring the goalscorer props for some of his teammates.
Three that stand out to me are Reece James anytime goalscorer (+600), Mason Mount anytime goalscorer (+270) and Timo Werner anytime goalscorer (+300). Both Mount and Werner found the back of the net during last season’s semifinal second leg against Real Madrid, so give me James and the big value in this instance. Sorry, Liverpool fans, he is the best right back in the country.
My picks (via WynnBet)
I have to be honest, I would trade most of my picks being wrong for the Blues to advance into the semifinals. Probably shouldn’t admit that in a gambling article, but we move. I’m definitely taking Chelsea ML (+165) and the aforementioned James goalscorer prop (+600), so I’ll need something more reasonable for my final pick.
I’m expecting the European Champions to come out strong from the opening whistle, so give me the draw or Chelsea halftime double bet prop at -295 odds. For those unfamiliar with this kind of play, it hits if the Blues are winning or tied at the halftime break. You’ll obviously need to make a pretty substantial wager to make any money from this bet on its own, so I wouldn’t be mad at anyone who includes it as part of a parlay.
What are some of the odds you like in this contest? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!