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Luton vs Chelsea betting tips, BuildABet, best bets and preview
Football betting tips: Premier League
1pt Luton to win at 9/2 (bet365)
Luton did not have a shot after the 67th minute at Bramall Lane, yet came from a goal down to beat Sheffield United 3-2.
Will the Hatters' faithful care? I doubt it, because during those 23 minutes in South Yorkshire their club went from level with the Blades to within a point of safety.
After Everton squandered a 1-0 lead against Manchester City on Wednesday, that is where they remain.
Chelsea showed resilience to overcome a stubborn Crystal Palace last time out. Noni Madueke’s penalty proved to be the difference between the London clubs as the Blues found a way without the suspended Cole Palmer and Raheem Sterling.
Those three points moved Mauricio Pochettino’s side back into the top half but still left them 12 points off the Champions League pace.
What are the best bets?
Kenilworth Road is quite the fortress.
Did you know you have to walk through the surrounding houses' gardens to get to the terraces? Well, Luton have certainly used its charm to their advantage.
Their home form may read two wins from nine but that doesn’t tell the whole story.
Luton have played five of the top eight on their own patch, beating Newcastle and drawing with Liverpool, it took a 90+5 minute equaliser from Luis Diaz for the Reds to snatch a point though.
Arsenal won in similar circumstances after Declan Rice nodded home in the 90+7th minute to complete a comeback, and Man City also had to come from a goal down.
LUTON went off at a shorter price than is currently available against Newcastle and I would not be surprised to see them shorten ahead of kick-off here, backing them TO WIN certainly appeals.
A home win would not be a complete shock. Chelsea have lost (5) more games then they have won (3) away in the top-flight this term.
Those victories came against the nine men of Tottenham, an expansive Burnley and Fulham.
Thomas Kaminski has picked up three cards in 18 appearances this campaign.
No mean feat for a keeper, not least considering they have all come from time wasting, two of which in the first half of games his side did not even go on to win.
The Hatters keeper was pulling out all the stops at Bramall Lane on Boxing Day so expect to see some time wasting antics if everything goes to plan for Luton on Saturday afternoon.
Team news
No fresh injury concerns could see Rob Edwards field the same side as on Boxing Day. This would see Elijah Adebayo continue to lead the line, the Hatters top goalscorer (4) has usurped Carlton Morris upfront.
Ross Barkley will continue in central midfield, the former Chelsea man is going from strength-to-strength this campaign netting a goal and setting up another within his last four starts.
Sterling and Palmer are both back available following suspension and should both return to the XI.
Predicted line-ups
Luton: Kaminski; Osho, Mengi, Bell; Doughty, Barkley, Lokonga, Giles; Townsend, Brown; Adebayo.
Chelsea: Petrovic; Gusto, Disasi, Silva, Colwill; Caicedo, Gallagher; Sterling, Palmer, Mudryk; Nkunku.
Match facts
- Luton won their last home league game against Chelsea, beating them 2-0 in December 1991. However, they lost the last time they hosted the Blues in any competition, going down 3-2 in an FA Cup tie in March 2022.
- The home side has won eight of the last 10 league meetings between Luton Town and Chelsea, with the exceptions being a 3-0 away win for Chelsea in December 1989, and a 3-3 draw at Stamford Bridge in April 1991.
- In each of Luton’s last three top-flight campaigns before this season, their final game of the calendar year was at home against Chelsea. They lost 3-0 in 1989, before 2-0 wins in both 1990 and 1991.
- Chelsea haven’t lost their final league game in any of the last 11 calendar years (W7 D4), since a 3-1 home loss against Aston Villa in 2011.
- Luton have won their last two Premier League games, as many as in their first 16 this season. They last won three consecutive top-flight matches in December 1991, the third game of which was against Chelsea.
- Chelsea have lost each of their last four Premier League away games, their longest losing run on the road since a run of five between October and December 2000 under Claudio Ranieri.
- Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has taken charge of more away games against promoted teams in the Premier League without losing than any other manager (20), with 18 of those 20 games ending in victories for his side (D2).
- Luton’s Andros Townsend has either scored (1) or assisted (2) in each of his last three Premier League games at Kenilworth Road. Only once previously has he been directly involved in a goal in four consecutive home appearances in the competition, doing so between May and September 2021 (4).
- Raheem Sterling has been directly involved in 20 goals in his last 19 Premier League games against promoted sides (15 goals, five assists), including nine in eight games for his current club Chelsea (six goals, three assists). He scored two of the Blues’ three goals in this season’s reverse fixture against Luton.
- Luton’s Ross Barkley could become the third player in 2023 to score against Chelsea in the Premier League having previously played for them in the competition, after Willian in January and Emerson in February. Barkley has played nine times against Chelsea in the competition without scoring to date.
Odds correct at 1500 GMT (28/12/23)
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