Chelsea will be trying to extend their league atop the English Premier League this Saturday, March 18th when they head north to take on Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium. Chelsea is coming off of a 1-0 home win over Manchester United in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup on Monday while Stoke drew 0-0 at Manchester City in league play in their last outing on March 8th.
Stoke City vs Chelsea – Pinnacle Soccer Betting Line:
- Pinnacle currently lists Chelsea as the favorites to win the game at -170 with Stoke +580 and a draw at +310
Stoke City vs Chelsea – Head to Head:
- These two teams met at Stamford Bridge in London on New Year’s Eve with Chelsea beating the visitors 4-2. They met twice in league action last season and played to a 1-1 draw in London with Stoke winning their home match 1-0. The teams have met 98 times in the past with Chelsea winning 46, losing 30 and drawing the other 22. Chelsea has just one win in the last four meetings along with a draw and two losses. However, they’ve lost just three of the past 21 with three draws and 15 wins.
Stoke City – A Closer Look:
Stoke City enters the 29th round of action with 36 points out of a possible 84 and sit in ninth place in the league. They’ve scored 32 goals and allowed 40 against. At home this season, the club has six wins, five draws and three losses with 18 goals scored and 15 allowed. They’re currently on an eight-game unbeaten streak at home at bet365 Stadium with four victories and four defeats. Stoke has six clean sheets at home and have failed to score on three occasions.
In their past 10 league games overall, Stoke has four wins, three losses and three draws with 12 goals scored and 12 goals conceded. They’re 13 points behind sixth-place Manchester United and a shot at the Europa League and are 12 points ahead of 18th-place Hull City and the relegation zone. Manager Mark Hughes is hoping forward Marko Arnautovic is healthy enough to return to the squad, but goaltender Jack Butland and midfielder Stephen Ireland will both miss the game due to long-term injuries.
Chelsea – A Closer Look:
Chelsea still leads the Premier League with their total of 66 points from 21 victories, three draws and three defeats with 57 goals scored and 20 allowed. The Blues have one of the best away records in the league this season with nine wins, three draws and a loss while scoring 21 goals and allowing 12 against. They have seven victories in their past 10 league matches to accompany a pair of draws and a defeat while scoring 22 goals and conceding nine. Chelsea leads second-place Tottenham Hotspur and third-place Manchester City by 10 points and has an 11-point bulge on fourth-place Liverpool.
They’re also 16 points in front of fifth-place Arsenal and have a 17-point edge on sixth-place Manchester United. However, both Arsenal and Man United have a game in hand on the leaders while Chelsea has a game in hand on Liverpool. Chelsea is now undefeated in their past 11 contests in all competitions with just two losses since October 26th. As far as injuries go, manager Antonio Conte can count his lucky stars as there is currently nobody named on the squad’s injury list.
Stoke City vs Chelsea – Takeaway:
Chelsea needs the points to keep their distance over Tottenham and Manchester City while Stoke is destined to finish the season as a mediocre, mid-table club once again.