EPL Odds: Chelsea, Man City Meet in Late-Season Clash

Chelsea (+145) vs Manchester City (+220), Draw (+240)

League leaders Chelsea (22-3-4, 69 points) host title contenders Manchester City (17-7-5, 58 points) for a pivotal Premier League game this Thursday, April 6.

Chelsea suffered an upset loss to 16th-place Crystal Palace last weekend, ending their eight-game unbeaten streak. The game started with an early goal by Cesc Fabregas and it seemed like Chelsea would pick up another easy win at home, continuing their seemingly inevitable march toward the title. But Crystal Palace responded with two goals of their own in the ninth and eleventh minute.

With nearly 80 minutes remaining, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that the Blues would respond. Somehow, Palace managed to hold the lead. Chelsea threw everything they had at Palace and had plenty of opportunities to equalize. But despite all their chances, nothing stuck.

A loss at home to a relegation-threatened side looks awful on paper. In reality, Chelsea didn’t play too badly at all. They controlled possession throughout the game and outshot Palace 13-5. It really was just one of those days. The Blues slipped up and their lead has narrowed to seven points over second-place Tottenham.

Manchester City drew against Arsenal last weekend (2-2), marking their third consecutive draw. Leroy Sane opened the scoring for City in the fifth minute. The Gunners rallied and managed to end the game at 2-2.

It wasn’t a poor performance from City but neither team played particularly well, either. Both seemed a little skittish and failed to settle into any kind of rhythm; only a few moments of brilliance dotted the 90 minutes. A draw isn’t a terrible result for the Citizens, but with only eight games to go and eleven points to make up, it’s not a great result either.

While Chelsea’s run for the title seems a little less inevitable after their defeat, Antonio Conte’s boys are still in great form. Manchester City, on the other hand, continue to be an inconsistent side. With fewer than ten games to go, the upcoming match is the last real test for Chelsea. From what we’ve seen from them this season, there’s no reason to bet against the Blues.

Pick: Chelsea (+145)