The last few days have certainly been difficult for the Chelsea fanbase. Despite the pride that most supporters feel toward the squad that came back incredibly against Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday, the 5-4 aggregate defeat isn’t any easier to swallow. Now, the boys in blue must turn their attention to a Crystal Palace side that hasn’t proven much of a threat so far during this campaign, but is consistently playing entertaining football, in a crucial FA Cup semifinal match-up. The premiere English cup competition is the Blues’ lone remaining chance at silverware for the 2021/22 season, so its ultimate success could be decided on Sunday.
Going two-for-three on picks was a small consolation for the UCL exit, and the plus juice on Chelsea moneyline was especially sweet. Unfortunately, there won’t be nearly as many value plays against the Eagles, so making sensible bets is of the utmost importance. Cup matches can sometimes be tricky to predict, but I think the European Champions will be highly motivated to bounce back as quickly as possible. I’ll be riding the Blues to an impressive victory and hopefully, a big payday as well this weekend.
Here is your gambling guide for the FA Cup semifinal contest between Chelsea and Crystal Palace at Wembley Stadium
Palace, while currently sitting 13th in the Premier League table, has been one of the most free-flowing attacking teams in the English top flight this season. The London side’s 43 goals are ninth-best in the EPL, but somehow, Patrick Vieira’s men have yet to find the back of the net against their cross-town rivals. Chelsea is leading the aggregate scoreline, 4-0, while the Eagles have managed only four shots on target in the two previous matches combined. I expect the Blues’ defensive dominance to continue, so I’m definitely taking the clean sheet prop at +125 odds.
I also have to buck against the recent trend of high-scoring matches for the west London side. They’ve tallied 13 goals in their previous five contests and 26 in their last 10, by far the team’s best attacking stretch in what has undeniably been a disappointing season for the Blues’ forwards. I hate to ask the question, but how much longer can this possibly continue? There’s nothing wrong with a solid, professional victory by only a goal or two, as long as it comes with a clean sheet. Give me under 2.5 total goals for the match at -110.
Official odds (via WynnBet as of April 16)
Chelsea ML: -165
Crystal Palace ML: +475
Draw: +300
Over/Under: 2.5 (-115/-110)
My picks
I really wanted to get exotic with my final pick after going vanilla with the Chelsea clean sheet prop (+125) and the under (2.5 goals at -110). I’m feeling simultaneously hot on and jaded by anytime goalscorer props after mentioning both Timo Werner and Mason Mount as potential candidates in my previous article, before ultimately deciding to bet Reece James for the value. I don’t want to make the same mistake again, so I’m not even going to predict which player will make the difference for the Blues. Instead, I’m going to continue playing it safe and take the Club World Cup champions on the moneyline at -165 odds. While the number certainly isn’t sexy, it’s probably more than fair considering the talent disparity between the two squads. Don’t overthink it.
What bets will you be placing on Sunday? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!