THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE return on Tuesday night. Daniel McCulloch (@DMcCulloch1984) analyses the odds as Chelsea host Lille on Matchday 6.
Chelsea v Lille | Tuesday 10th December 2019, 20:00 | BT Sport
It’s win and you are in for Chelsea against Lille on Tuesday night. Victory over the French side will secure a Last 16 berth for Frank Lampard’s side and given that they are generally 1/5 to prevail, it’s fair to say that the bookmakers expect an easy ride for the home side.
Lille are currently third in Ligue 1, with three single goal victories in a row. They have, however, fared pretty poorly in this competition, gaining just one point from five games and losing both encounters on the road by three goals.
While Chelsea have been one of the most entertaining sides in the Premier League, with their games averaging 3.43 goals per-game, Lille have been rather dour domestically, with their 17 games including just 36 goals (an average of 2.12).
Generally I look for a Both Teams To Score angle in Chelsea matches. It has landed in 12 of their 16 home Premier League games and three of five in the Champions League. However, factoring Lille’s motivation (they cannot finish anywhere but bottom of this group), their away form in this competition and Chelsea’s attacking mentality under Frank Lampard, I am left with a couple of handicap bets.
The safer play is Chelsea -1.5 at 9/13 with BetVictor but I also wouldn’t want to put anyone off Chelsea -2.5 at 33/20 with Unibet. I fully understand concerns about the West London side defensively, but I expect a significant improvement in performance in midweek and against such poor travellers with little to play for, I wouldn’t rule out a procession at Stamford Bridge.
Best Bets
Chelsea v Lille – Chelsea -1.5 Asian Handicap (9/13 BetVictor)
Chelsea v Lille – Chelsea -2.5 Asian Handicap (33/20 Unibet)
