Chelsea’s first year under Maurizio Sarri has been an interesting ride. Sarri has certainly livened things up after the Antonio Conte era, yet the Blues are in for a fight when it comes to improving their place in the table. They are tied with Arsenal for fourth place in the standings, and they have a tougher test than their counterparts on Boxing Day when the league will officially reach its halfway point. Chelsea must travel to Vicarage Road and take on a Watford club that is currently seventh in the standings.
Don't miss the English Premier League action from Vicarage Road in Watford, England at 2:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, December 26, 2018. Catch every moment of the match live on NBCSN.
English Premier League Betting at BookMaker.eu
Watford +383
Chelsea -142
Draw +292
Over/Under 2.5 and 3
Odds Analysis
The Hornets are looking to finish in the top half of the Premier League table for the first time in their history, and they are off to a great start. Elton John’s former club is two points behind Manchester United with a record of 8-3-7, and Watford are in contention for a spot in the Europa League. Following a three-game losing streak, they have now picked up a result in three straight matches, and the last two have been wins. The Hornets held on to beat Cardiff City after jumping ahead 3-0, and they grabbed a nice road victory over West Ham on Saturday.
December has been a strange month for Chelsea. The highs have been very high. The Blues dealt Manchester City their first loss of the season two weeks ago, and they qualified for the Carabao Cup semifinals and the knockout rounds of the Europa League. However, they also dropped winnable games against Wolverhampton and Leicester City, and that is tough to explain away.
Key Injuries
Watford will be without three players for this match. Will Hughes and Andre Gray may be long-term injuries, and there has been no update on when they might return. Fortunately, the Hornets received better news about Adalberto Penaranda, and he is expected back within the next few days. Daryl Janmaat is considered questionable to play, while Sebastian Prodl is a doubt.
Marco van Ginkel will miss this game as he continues to rehab a torn ACL, and Victor Moses is a scratch too for Chelsea. Andreas Christensen is considered doubtful with a thigh injury, while Alvaro Morata is questionable with a knee issue.
Player to Watch
This offseason, Chelsea looked like they were set to come undone. Thibaut Courtois and Eden Hazard were both wanted by Real Madrid, and Courtois was eventually signed away. That left a massive hole in goal, and the Blues rolled the dice by nearly doubling the record for amount spent on a goalkeeper when they signed Kepa from Athletic Bilbao. Kepa has been incredible in net, and he has been worth the money to this point. He has made at least a dozen amazing saves, and that has kept Chelsea mostly winning despite playing far more forward.
Prop Bet of the Game – Chelsea -0.5 +122 First Half
Chelsea were the better team for most of the match last week, and they will want to prove themselves here. The Blues will be out to jump on a weaker opponent earlier in order to celebrate the holidays the right way, and they know they can’t afford to drop points to Arsenal. Watford have a tendency to spread out at the back, and Chelsea can punish that.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
A loss could really shake things up at Stamford Bridge, and we have already seen one titan fall with the sacking of Jose Mourinho. I don’t think that will happen though, and Chelsea will get the win and stay ahead of Arsenal.
English Premier League Odds: Chelsea 2, Watford 1
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