Dinamo Zagreb vs Chelsea Odds & Prediction – Champions League Group Stage (Sept 6)
- Dinamo Zagreb hosts Chelsea in Champions League group stage play on Tuesday, September 6th, at 12:45 pm ET
- The match, being played at the Stadion Maksimir in Zagreb, is the first competitive meeting between these two clubs
- Get the Dinamo Zagreb vs Chelsea odds, analysis, and betting prediction below
The Champions League has returned and Dinamo Zagreb vs Chelsea kicks off the group stages on Tuesday afternoon. This match marks the first in Group E, which also includes the likes of AC Milan and RB Salzburg. As one could expect, Chelsea are favorites to win the group with odds of -275.
However, that does not necessarily mean Tuesday’s match will be a cakewalk for Chelsea. While this is their first-head-to-head meeting, Dinamo Zagreb have faced three different English sides in European play since 2019-20. In fact, Modri have marked massive wins over Tottenham and West Ham during that span.
Furthermore, this is Zagreb’s first attempt at the Champions League group stages since 2019-20 and their eighth try overall. They have failed to advance on each of those occasions, which does hint to an early exit. Still, Chelsea are a scandalous VAR decision away from the bottom half of the Premier League table. If there was ever a time for Zagreb to pull off a massive upset, it would be now.
Dinamo Zagreb vs Chelsea Odds
| Matchup | Moneyline Odds |
|---|---|
| Dinamo Zagreb | +600 |
| Chelsea | -210 |
| Draw | +330 |
Odds as of September 4th at Caesars Sportsbook. Use this Caesars Sportsbook bonus code to bet on this Champions League match.
Overall, Chelsea are the massive moneyline favorites at -210. Again, I would stay wary of any outright winner plays in this match. Chelsea are extremely volatile at the moment, which is putting it lightly. Also, their three domestic wins so far are against teams placed 16th, 18th and 20th in the Premier League.
In the long-term picture, Chelsea’s outright Champions League odds sit at +1400.
Over/Under Odds & Goalscorer Props
Additionally, goals are to be expected in this European affair. The over on 2.5 total goals is at a juicy -140, while the under sits at +110. In their combined twenty matches, across all competitions this season, that over has hit 80% of the time.
While Thomas Tuchel prides himself on defense, Chelsea have been leaky so far. In fact, they have already conceded two more goals than expected at this point in the season. As a result, I would throw out a half-unit play on Mislav Orsic to score at anytime (+330). Orsic already has eight goals this season and did score four goals in their last round of Champions League games.
Expect Rotation for Chelsea
With that being said, what can we expect from this struggling Chelsea side? Firstly, you have to expect Tuchel to rotate his team, especially with Premier League fixtures being tossed in at a ferocious pace. For example, Thiago Silva has played every minute in the Premier League so far.
Tough game, yet important for the future. Congratulations everyone and keep it up! 🙏👊🏽 @ChelseaFC
• #ThiagoSilva #TS6 #OhhhThiagoSilva #Chelsea #ChelseaFC #CFC #WeAreBlue #BlueIsTheColour #ChelseaForever #StamfordBridge #CheWhu pic.twitter.com/dAv2fKpuA2— Thiago Silva (@tsilva3) September 3, 2022
The Brazilian is 37 years old and cannot take that kind of wear and tear for a full season. While this is the Champions League, you also have to assess the difficulty of the opponent. In this case, Chelsea probably have a little wiggle room in changing their starting eleven.
Dinamo Zagreb vs Chelsea Statistics
| 1.33 | Goals per game | 3.38 |
| 1.74 | Expected goals per game | 2.45 |
| 1.50 | Goals allowed per game | 1.25 |
| 1.54 | Expected goals allowed per game | 1.25 |
| 61.30% | Possession % | 60.00% |
| 16.67% | Clean Sheet % | 0.0% |
| 13.20 | Shots per game | 16.88 |
*Stats are from 2022/23 domestic league play.
All in all, I would expect Ben Chilwell, Cesar Azpilicueta, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic to all make their way into the team. Aubameyang is still unavailable for selection, which does mean Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz are the most likely pair up top.
Lift off! ✈️ pic.twitter.com/UDhklFNnmm
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 4, 2022
Regardless, these back-end changes are good for the Blues. Their creativity has been inept this year, and their finishing non-existent. Getting some old faces back in the team might just give them the lift they need to get this one over the line.
Dinamo Zagreb vs Chelsea Projected Lineups and Injuries
Dinamo Zagreb Projected Lineup: Livakovic, Lujbicic, Peric, Sutalo, Ristovski, Baturina, Ademi, Ivanusec, Orsic, Petkovic, Spikic
Injuries & Absences: None
Chelsea Projected Lineup: Mendy, Chilwell, Koulibaly, Azpilicueta, Fofana, James, Jorginho, Kovacic, Mount, Sterling, Havertz
Injuries & Absences: Aubameyang, Kante
Dinamo Zagreb vs Chelsea Prediction
Finally, my best bet for this match is both teams to score with odds of -115. I like the value on this pick, considering Chelsea’s only clean sheet came at the hands of Everton. Zagreb does not have a defense to write home about either, so this pick is right up the middle.
Pick: Both teams to score (-115)
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Josh Ricker is a freelance sports journalist, currently attending the University of Southern Maine (Bachelor of Science in Sports Management and Marketing). He has recently interned with the AA Portland Sea Dogs, and his work has been featured on Fansided, as well as now here on SBD.
