The Blues’ 2022/23 campaign is off to a strong start following their 1-0 win at Goodison Park last weekend, although the team’s performance left something to be desired. New signings Kalidou Koulibaly and Raheem Sterling were impressive in their respective Chelsea debuts, but yet again, the forward line struggled. Kai Havertz was particularly ineffective as a No. 9 against the Toffees’ physical defenders. The new season has just begun though, and there is still time for new signings. The club’s focus turns to Tottenham Hotspur with three points already in the bag.
Sunday’s London Derby should be an all-time tactical match-up with two prodigious managers in Antonio Conte and Thomas Tuchel on the touchline. The latter’s revolution at Spurs is already in full devastating effect, as evidenced by clips of his players vomiting on the pitch at a public training session in South Korea. Tottenham did good business early in the window before thrashing Southampton 4-1 last weekend without a single new signing in the XI. Tuchel’s side dispatched Spurs three times in less than 20 days last season though, so perhaps the German genius just has Conte figured out. I’m still going to play it safe and stay away from betting either team to win.
Here is your betting guide to the London Derby between Chelsea and Spurs
I’m utterly shocked that the WynnBet bookmakers have Chelsea favored in this match. Maybe they’re really buying into Tuchel’s recent dominance over Conte, or perhaps they just know that London is perpetually blue. But I’m incredibly intrigued by Spurs on the moneyline at +225. I don’t like the vibes of betting against the Blues, so I won’t include that as one of my official picks. However, I’m not not saying it would be worth a low-risk flyer.
I don’t have a strong conviction about the final result either way, but I do expect both sides to ease themselves into the contest. Each defense is incredibly disciplined and neither will want to make the first mistake. I don’t think we’ll see much action during the first 45’, which is pushing me toward under 1.5 first half goals at -250 odds.
One other prop I really like is both teams will not score at +110. There will obviously be a ton of big-name attackers gracing the pitch on Sunday, but for some reason, this derby between Chelsea and Tottenham hasn’t seen a high-scoring contest in years. In fact, both sides have failed to find the back of the net in this match-up since September 2020 when Spurs advanced past the Blues in the League Cup on penalties. I’m not sure which London club will be held off the scoresheet and I wouldn’t even be shocked to see a 0-0 draw, as I want to reiterate my belief that there won’t be much entertainment value. The combination of two formidable back lines and two careful managers doesn’t promise a lot of action.
Official odds (via WynnBet as of August 13)
Chelsea ML: +130
Tottenham ML: +225
Draw: +240
Over/Under: 2.5 (-105/-115)
My picks:
Going three-for-three last week was a terrific start to the season, but maintaining consistency is my goal for 2022/23. Like I always say, a good weekend of Premier League football is enhanced when you’re making money. Since I’m not expecting much excitement from the derby, hitting these bets would be even better.
My first two picks are under 1.5 first-half goals (-250) and both teams to not score (+110). I struggled to find a third wager with solid value, so I decided to supplement betting on the first half goals total with Tottenham under 0.5 goals in the first 45’ at -170 odds. My only concern with this week’s picks is that they are all contingent on the match being low-scoring. If I’m right, though, I’m going to be very right.
What bets will you be placing ahead of this massive match? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter!