Jake Pearson previews the FA Cup semi-final between Chelsea and Crystal Palace, picking out his best bets and score prediction.
Football betting tips: FA Cup
1pt Reece James to score anytime at 6/1 (Unibet)
Chelsea face Crystal Palace at Wembley in a competition that remains their only possibility of claiming any sort of silverware this season.
How different the mood could have been around the Stamford Bridge dressing room had Luka Modrić’s mind-boggling outside of the boot pass not found Rodrygo, who slotted past Eduoard Mendy to send their Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid into extra-time, during which Karim Benzema would deal a fatal blow to the Blues’ season.
Twelve points adrift of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League, and the FA Cup is the last opportunity for Thomas Tuchel’s men to salvage a season that began with so much promise.
Crystal Palace, meanwhile, will be dreaming of going all the way in this competition and winning their first ever major trophy.
They will have to do it the hard way, but with Premier League safety secured, Patrick Vieira is free to give the tournament everything his side have got – everything, that is, except Conor Gallagher, who is ineligible to play due to Chelsea being his parent club.
This poses a big problem for Vieira, but the Eagles have shown plenty of organisation, as well as ability this season, and this will be no easy task for the Blues.
It is difficult to disagree with the current prices in terms of the 90 minutes betting, Chelsea the odds-on favourites and rightly so, particularly with Gallagher’s absence, so searching elsewhere for a bet is a must.
One player in particular that catches the eye in this match-up is Reece James, the Chelsea full-back now in full swing after a spell on the sidelines with injury.
James was one of Chelsea’s standout players at the Bernabéu on Tuesday, only Kai Havertz and Mason Mount registering more shots than the England man, whilst James also made double the amount of tackles of any other Chelsea player.
James’ battle against Vinícius Júnior was a joy to behold, both player refusing to give an inch. Vinícius was the perfect example of an attack-minded player sacrificing himself for the cause, whilst also posing a threat.
On Sunday, James will likely be up against Wilfried Zaha, a player with all the forward thinking of the Real Madrid wide-man, but without perhaps the defensive resolution.
This will afford James more opportunities to progress forward, and siding with Chelsea’s seventh top scorer in all competitions (fourth in the Premier League) to add another goal to his tally looks a good bet.
James’ six goals in 30 games in all competitions means he nets 20% of time, primitively speaking. Given that not all of those appearances were starts, the reality is probably a little higher. In fact, James has netted five goals in his 15 starts in the Premier League this term.
With this in mind, a top price of 6/1 about REECE JAMES TO SCORE ANYTIME appeals as slightly too big and is certainly worth getting on side.
Chelsea v Crystal Palace best bets and score prediction
- 1pt Reece James to score anytime at 6/1 (Unibet)
Score prediction: Chelsea 1-0 Crystal Palace (Sky Bet odds: 11/2)
Odds correct at 1200 BST (14/04/21)
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