Chelsea at Newcastle: Premier League betting guide and tips
By Mike Malley
The Blues’ final fixture before the World Cup break, a trip north to St. James’ Park, will be another massive test of the team’s resolve. I don’t like to use the phrase “must-win” very often, but it feels pretty appropriate in this instance. Anything less than three points from this game will leave Chelsea at least five points adrift in an extremely condensed battle for the right to play in next year’s UCL. Seeing Newcastle favored on the moneyline will definitely take some getting used to, but +130 feels like a fair price for the surging Magpies. I’m tempted to throw a little money there myself for the emotional hedge.
Newcastle’s rapid rise to the top of the EPL is obviously due to the investment from the Saudi Arabia PFI, but the club’s footballing management does deserve credit for collecting and organizing an extremely gifted squad. Miguel Almiron and Bruno Guimaraes have been two of the league’s best performers this season, with 13 goals and assists between them, while the Magpies’ backline has conceded the joint-fewest goals in the Premier League. Eddie Howe’s ability to balance his exciting attacking talent with a pragmatic defensive structure has been nothing short of masterful. His side’s 2.0 goals per game average trails only City and Arsenal, both of which dispatched of Chelsea with relative ease in the past seven days. I predict Newcastle will reach its average on Saturday, and possibly even eclipse it, so give me the home team to score over 1.5 goals at +124 odds.