Chelsea vs Tottenham Odds & Prediction – EFL Cup Semifinals Leg 1

• London rivals Chelsea and Tottenham lock horns in the EFL Cup Semifinals on Wednesday at Stamford Bridge
• The Blues are a slim +100 favorite for the first leg
• Read on for the odds, analysis, and best bet

The EFL Cup semifinals begin on Wednesday as Chelsea host Tottenham in the first leg at Stamford Bridge. The kick-off is scheduled for 2:45 PM EST.

The Blues are coming off a thrilling 2-2 draw over the weekend with rivals Liverpool, while Spurs beat Watford at the death thanks to a last-gasp winner from Davinson Sanchez in the sixth minute of stoppage time.

This is the second meeting in 2021/22 between these two London outfits, with Chelsea thrashing Tottenham 3-0 in September on the road.

Chelsea vs Tottenham Odds

All odds as of January 3rd at Barstool Sportsbook

Blues Looking for EFL Cup Glory

Winning the Champions League is undoubtedly more impactful, but the Blues haven’t enjoyed a ton of success in this competition.

The last time they won it was in 2015, coincidentally enough beating Spurs in the grand finale at Wembley. Since then, Chelsea’s most recent appearance in a final was in 2019, losing to current holders Manchester City on penalties.

Thomas Tuchel’s side finds themselves in the semifinals after a rather under strengthened starting XI managed to pull out a 2-0 victory against Brentford on December 22 thanks to an own goal from the Bees and a Jorginho spot-kick. COVID-19 prevented numerous key players from featuring in that match, but their squad depth proved to be strong enough to book a spot in the last four.

Chelsea’s form is respectable coming into Wednesday’s clash, but they’re struggling to secure the full points on a weekly basis. Liverpool was two goals to the good on Sunday at Stamford Bridge within the first 25 minutes, but thankfully the Blues stormed back before the halftime whistle with a pair of breathtaking finishes from Mateo Kovacic and Christian Pulisic.

Drawing us level! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/KPRTj6Un2a

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 3, 2022

All in all, Chelsea is playing relatively well, but they do have just two wins in their last six games, with one of them coming in the Carabao Cup. While the others were draws, the Blues are struggling to collect crucial points against opponents who should be beaten.  On top of that, four of their previous five fixtures on home soil ended in a stalemate. That will simply not be good enough on Wednesday.

On a more positive note, Romelu Lukaku has reportedly spoken to Tuchel and club officials and will be available for selection vs. Tottenham after his bombshell interview.

Spurs Could Have COVID-19 Problems

Tottenham boss Antonio Conte revealed on Monday that his side could have a “couple” of COVID-19 cases heading into the first leg mid-week, but it’s currently unknown if these players would miss out. Of course, Spurs dealt with a full-blown outbreak in December as nine first-team members were sidelined due to the virus.

Antonio Conte is the first manager in Tottenham's history to go unbeaten in his first eight league matches 👌 pic.twitter.com/uqCNZEpWzV

— GOAL (@goal) January 1, 2022

Nonetheless, the Italian is undoubtedly enjoying life in North London, with Spurs currently riding a nine-game unbeaten run across all competitions. That puts them in sixth spot in the Premier League table and just two points off fourth-place Arsenal.

Tottenham took out a very strong West Ham side in the EFL Cup quarterfinals a couple of weeks back thanks to goals from Steven Bergwijn and Lucas Moura. The Hammers controlled most of the play and had their fair share of chances, but Conte’s backline stood tall and secured a 2-1 victory.

Spurs weren’t the most convincing on New Year’s Day at Vicarage Road though, with Sanchez saving them with a late winner. They were absolutely dominant in the final third, but the attack lacked the end product. Opportunities will be far and few between against Chelsea therefore the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son must capitalize when called upon.

Chelsea vs Tottenham Key EFL Cup Stats

Chelsea vs Tottenham Prediction

The Blues are dealing with their fair share of absences, but their attacking options remain intact. Lukaku will likely start here and should give Chelsea a big spark up top. However, Spurs are a much different team under Conte than the one who was smacked by three goals in September. That being said, a draw looks to be good value here.

Pick: Draw +255