Chelsea at Real Madrid Champions League quarterfinal gambling guide

Chelsea fans are riding the momentary high that comes along with any 6-0 victory. The Blues got back on their feet at the weekend, thrashing Southampton by six goals to end a miserable two-match losing streak. The clinical performance put on by Mason Mount, Timo Werner and Co. at St. Mary’s Stadium has got supporters believing in miracles once again. Thomas Tuchel and his team are facing an uphill battle, but anything is possible when the reigning Champions of Europe are feeling themselves following a flawless performance.

Chelsea was soundly defeated by Real Madrid in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal tie last week at Stamford Bridge. Karim Benzema punished the home side for a number of silly mistakes as his hat-trick has Los Blancos sitting comfortably in the driver’s seat before Tuesday’s contest. The Champions League isn’t Europe’s premier footballing competition for nothing though. The improbable is possible, as we’ve seen from teams like Liverpool and Tottenham over the last few years. That’s enough about the game as a whole though, let’s discuss some of the gambling beats ahead of the second leg from the Santiago Bernabeu.

Here is the gambling guide for the match between Real Madrid and Chelsea

The most noteworthy adjustment in the line is its complete 180 from the last time out. Chelsea was heavily favorited by oddsmakers in the first leg, presumably because of its recent form and the fact the Blues played host. Carlo Ancelotti’s men are slight favorites at home in the bettors’ eyes, however, following a 3-1 dismantling of the English side last week. Regardless, there is some nice value in either team as they sit at +155 and +175 respectively. This will make for an excellent base in a little while for a parlay.

As one would expect, there is little value in placing a bet on Benzema to be an anytime goalscorer given the fact he’s netted hat-tricks in his last two Champions League matches. As a standalone bet, I recommend staying away from that play unless you’re willing to dish out some serious cash to capitalize on the +100 odds. Vinicius Jr. at +200 is a different story altogether though. If you’re daring enough to bet goalscoring props, the Brazilian is as safe a choice as they come, aside from the obvious pick in the French talisman.

Kai Havertz, the other goalscorer from the first leg, is +195 to find the back of the net in the Spanish capital. If you’re going to place a bet on a Chelsea player to score in this contest, I’d recommend putting all of your eggs in the basket of either Havertz or Mason Mount (+280) to score. Those two are almost guaranteed to make the starting XI, whereas the third spot in Tuchel’s front line is a pick ’em between Christian Pulisic, Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech. Don’t discount the defenders either given how poor Real Madrid’s marking on corners was in last week’s game.

Official odds (via WynnBet as of April 12)

Chelsea ML: +175
Real Madrid ML: +155
Draw: +250
Over/Under: 2.5 (-130/+105)

My picks

The one play that’s an absolute lock in my eyes is Chelsea over 1.5 goals (+130). The Blues are going to be attacking from the opening whistle knowing full well they need two goals to level the playing field. Real Madrid’s home crowd won’t allow it to sit back with 11 men behind the ball, so the holes that were present in the first leg will open up for the visitors’ attack. I like Chelsea to find the back of the net two times on the evening.

The next leg of this brief—yet rewarding—parlay is where you wonderful readers factor in. This is an incredibly difficult match to predict without factoring in emotions. Therefore, I’ll offer up a play for those of you who are OK with making your own decision regarding the result. There is great value in picking a result plus both teams to score. I think both teams will rattle the opposing nets at the Bernabeu, so parlay your winner with the aforementioned pick. I will personally be going with Chelsea to win and both teams to score (+370) to bring my odds to +981 on the ticket. If you feel more comfortable going with a draw or Real Madrid and both teams to score, there is still good value in these selections (+315 and +360 respectively).

Bonus: The Pride of London‘s score prediction piece will later reveal my prophecy for the second leg. Nevertheless, if you want to fasten your seatbelt and ride with me, I’ll give you a sneak peak into my prediction. All I’ll say is put a few dollars on Chelsea to win the match 2-1 (+1000).

What are some of the bets you’ll be interested in? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!