Joe Townsend has a preview and best bets for Monday's primetime clash as Chelsea and West Ham meet in a London derby at Stamford Bridge.
Football betting tips: Monday Night Football
2pts Both teams to score at 8/11
1pt Double chance - West Ham/Draw at 11/4
0.5pts Correct score 1-1 at 10/1
For details of advised bookmakers and each-way terms, visit our transparent tipping record
Chelsea v West Ham
- 20:00 GMT on Sky Sports Premier League
- Match odds: Home 4/9 | Draw 18/5 | Away 11/2
Chelsea have had a little wobble. Consecutive defeats, and their unlikely title run is being written off before it ever really started.
In reality, they met a determined Everton team who were backed by the novelty of a home crowd before unluckily losing in the 95th minute at Wolves. But football is a fickle business.
Frank Lampard said he didn't want to make excuses when speaking post-match at Molineux before, you guessed it, doing exactly that. He blamed the results on fatigue which is a fair enough point, though it must not be forgotten that no top-flight club has greater squad depth than the Blues.
On the whole, they have been excellent this term, coasting through to the Champions League knockout stage and sitting well in contention at the right end of the Premier League table.
Lampard will hope his young, vibrant team benefit from six days rest and are back firing for the visit of London rivals West Ham; they'll need to be.
While Chelsea have attracted plaudits for combining the young attack talent of Timo Werner, Mason Mount and alike with the defensive solidity of seasoned campaigners Thiago Silva and N'Golo Kante, their Monday night opponents have received plenty of praise too.
The Hammers are enjoying a superb campaign under the previously maligned David Moyes, and having navigated what was undoubtedly one of the toughest starts handed to any top-flight side, they are firmly in the top 10 and well placed to make a push for a much higher spot.
Moyes has found a formation that suits his players, using a 3-4-3 that asks a lot of central midfielders Tomas Soucek and Declan Rice - the key cogs in his machine.
The balance of the side has been well emphasised by Sebastien Haller's superb performances - capped by a stunning overhead kick in midweek - in the absence of leading man Michail Antonio, having previously struggled badly at the London Stadium.
The Β£45m striker has seven goals this season despite playing second fiddle to Antonio for the most part - he only managed seven in 35 appearances during his debut campaign.
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West Ham have now reached a point where players can be shifted in and out seamlessly; the style and system work perfectly.
What has perhaps been a surprise when it comes to the Irons is their willingness to attack, and risk conceding in a bid to score - a surprise, that is, given the reputation of their defensively disciplined manager.
That renown for keeping things tight seems to have carried itself over to the prices too, which offers us some value. Both teams to score is trading at 8/11 despite West Ham sitting third in this season's BTTS table.
They're climbing too, with both teams scoring in their last four league fixtures and in seven of their past nine.
From this angle they meet Chelsea at an opportune moment, given that of late, Lampard's men haven't been the unbreakable defensive unit of only a few short weeks ago, and are now without a clean sheet in five games in all competitions.
The hosts will probably edge it at Stamford Bridge, but at a heavy odds-on there is little to no value in backing them against an Irons outfit who have been so impressive this term. I'm more comfortable sticking with the bigger stake at BTTS, which if you wanted to take to a smidgen shorter than evens you could tag on over 2.5 goals to.
I won't be doing, though, for the primary reason that I think a 1-1 scoreline is very much on the cards. So much so that I am willing to take it to small stakes, with that result generally priced at 10/1.
The more realistic play is to capitalise on West Ham's rank outsiders tag, and take them in the double chance with Betway at 11/4.
The Hammers have lost only twice on the road in the Premier League this season, at Arsenal and Liverpool, with both 2-1 defeats via goals in the final five minutes. I'm backing them to hold out this time and take a point from Stamford Bridge, but the way they have blown away both Manchester clubs with excellent first-half displays means I wouldn't be shocked in the slightest should they take all three.
It makes the double chance the safer play.
Score prediction: Chelsea 1-1 West Ham (Sky Bet odds: 10/1)
Chelsea v West Ham: Monday Night Football best bets
Odds correct at 1800 GMT (18/12/20)
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