Things have been looking up just a bit for Swansea City of late. The team has cleared the relegation zone for the time being, and it's managed to score some incredibly improbable victories along the way. That said, the Swans aren't finished this year yet, as the 24 points they're on won't be anywhere near enough to stay up. The likelihood of getting anything at Chelsea on Saturday, though? Not good at all.
This Premier League duel will go down Saturday, February 25, 2017, at 10 a.m. ET at Stamford Bridge. The match will be televised live on NBC Sports Network.
Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
Chelsea -376
Swansea City +1011
Draw +525
Over/Under 3
Odds Analysis
No team has pulled off more great upsets over the course of this season than Swansea, and that includes when it was it managed a 2-2 draw against this same Chelsea side way back at the beginning of the season in September. It's really the matches against the middling teams and the other bottom feeders that are killing the Swans so badly.
But there's still no doubt that Swansea deserves to be a 10 to 1 underdog here against the Blues. Chelsea is -1.5 on the Asian Handicap and a firm -376 favorite on the moneyline, and it would be a real disappointment to not get three points here against one of the minnows of the Premier League.
The total of 3 is relatively high, but it has to be given the fact that the spread is this high.
Key Injuries
We keep saying that Chelsea is one of the healthiest teams in the EPL, and that holds true coming into this match with no new injury concerns to report.
Swansea City got some bad news in that Nathan Dyer's season is over with. He was taken off against Leicester City two weeks ago and hasn't played since, but it has since been confirmed that he tore his Achilles and is finished until probably well into training next season. Jefferson Montero and Ki Sung-Yueng both have long-term injuries for the Swans as well, but at least there's good news for Leon Britton, who has been declared fit after missing the Leicester City match two weeks ago.
Recent Form
You hate to say that Chelsea is happy it doesn't have to deal with European play this year, but it has to be nice for the club to not be worrying about anything in the middle of the week as some of the other top compatriots have had to do so. The Blues instead, will be fresh off of a 2-0 win over Wolverhampton in the FA Cup. Chelsea's last effort in the EPL was a dud, a 1-1 draw at Burnley in which the team played well but merely ran into a good side which played one of its best matches of the season.
Swansea meanwhile, has had two weeks off to get ready for this one because it's FA Cup run ended prematurely against Hull City in Round 3. The Swans have since beaten Liverpool on the road and both Southampton and Leicester City at home, though mixed in as well are a 4-0 loss to Arsenal and a 2-1 defeat against Manchester City.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
Chelsea hasn't looked like a world beater in recent matches, and Swansea City has scored in four straight, including putting one in against Manchester City and three against Liverpool. Could we see a massive upset again?
We don't think so.
In the end, Chelsea is going to remember that first match of the season that it punted, and there has to be at least somewhat of a sense of urgency right now with Manchester City now the closest side and within eight points. The last thing the Blues want to do is see the threat of this lead being trimmed to just five or six. A win would put them 28 points in 12 matches away from locking up the title with no challenge, and you can bet they'll get there on Saturday.
Premier League Odds: Chelsea 3, Swansea City 1
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