One of the most important games from the latest round of Premier League matches takes place at Bramall Lane as Sheffield United prepare to host Chelsea (12.30pm ET Saturday). With both teams retaining hopes of a European slot, three points are vital and there could be some good value across all markets.
Both sides are in good form coming into Saturday’s game so where will those points be heading?
SUFC vs CFC Moneyline Odds with the U.S. Sportsbooks
The match result betting shows a clear favorite with Chelsea coming in at general win odds of -180. The draw goes as high as +300 while a win for Sheffield United is available at +600 in places.
This is where the opening value could lie: Having started slowly upon the Premier League’s return, Sheffield United are unbeaten in their last two matches. The Blades have won two and drawn one and are now firmly on track for a Europa League place. Chelsea are in good form themselves with four wins from their last five but this will be a tough test for Frank Lampard’s men.
Interesting Prop Bets
Before committing to the result, let’s take a look at the players who can decide the destiny of this match. Chelsea’s key strikers Olivier Giroud and Tammy Abraham were both on target in the most recent win over Crystal Palace and they are joint favorites in places to open the scoring. Reserve centre forward Michy Batshuayi is close behind followed by midfielders Willian and Christian Pulisic.
Sheffield United have three players all listed at the +900 mark: Lys Mousset, Oliver McBurnie and Billy Sharp have shared the goals around for much of the season and they are the Blades’ most likely source of goals.
The home team have plenty of attacking options but they don’t score on too many occasions. Sheffield United have scored just 35 goals in 34 EPL games so far this season and that is less than Aston Villa, who currently sit in the relegation zone.
That record means that Both Teams to Score could become another value bet for Saturday’s game. This market rarely hits +100 figures but it is close to that mark heading into kick off.
As for total combined goals, a bet Over the 2.5 line is a modest place to start and this is also getting close to + figures. Pushing that higher and taking Over 3.5 sees the odds increase to around +225.
In the Correct Score markets, a low scoring draw attracts some shorter prices although a 1-0 win in favor of Chelsea is the favorite here. A 1-1 scoreline catches our eye at +600 but those who are expecting a comfortable afternoon for the away side should look at 3-1 to Chelsea at +1300.
The markets have made up their own mind but should we agree with them?
Our Preview’s Sheffield United vs Chelsea Predictions & Betting Picks Verdict
The top American odds setters are expecting Chelsea to dominate this match and, clearly, The Blues have greater strength in their squad. Despite losing to London rivals West Ham last month, Chelsea have been positive since the Premier League returned and they look certain to finish inside the top four.
At the same time, the markets are a little unkind to Sheffield United. The Blades were poor when they returned to action – losing their first three matches – but have since claimed seven points from a possible nine. United have scored five times in those three games so we suspect that the goals markets will hold some value. Both Teams to Score is our first pick and it’s a bet that would have collected in each of United’s last four games.
We aren’t, however, expecting too many goals across the 90 minutes. Those anticipating a Chelsea victory should be comfortable in betting Over the 2.5 goal line but we wouldn’t suggest going any higher.
As for the result, Sheffield United are back to their combative best and we feel they have the capacity to squeeze a draw out of this match. The Blades have beaten two strong teams in Wolves and Spurs across their last two home games and they can hold Chelsea on Saturday.
As for the props, Both Teams to Score looks sound at a reasonable price and we’ll finish with an anytime goal for Olivier Giroud. The French striker opened the scoring against Crystal Palace and, when he is trusted to start the game, he has rarely let his team down.
In summary, the markets are rather dismissive of Sheffield United’s chances here. The Blades are a much better team than some of these odds suggest and USAbetting is looking to take advantage of that situation this Saturday. These are our SUFC vs CFC predictions for this match preview:
- Back the draw @ best odds of +300 with Bovada or Bookmaker.
- Go with ‘both teams to score’ @ -110 with Bovada.
- Expect Olivier Giroud to score at any time @ +150 with Bovada or Intertops.
Matt Harris is a golf and soccer expert for USA Betting. His other area of specialist knowledge is cricket. He is well known in sports journalism and contributes articles to a plethora of big-name websites and media outlets. Titles that he writes or has written for include: Betfair, BetVictor, Unibet & Just Bookies.