Brighton & Hove VS Chelsea Match Prediction

The meeting back in December was the very first one these sides had had in official competition. That match ended 2-0 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Alvaro Morata scored the first goal, and Marcos Alonso wrapped it up.

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Brighton vs Chelsea Betting Tips and Odds

Bet365 have the following odds available for this match:

Brighton are at 6/1 to win, a draw is at 3/1, and a Chelsea win is at ½.

Brighton enter this round of fixtures in 16th place in the Premier League. They have 23 points now after their loss to West Brom on Saturday, and they are just three points above the drop zone now after a run of four matches without a win (2D, 2L). As for Chelsea, they are in third place still after their latest 0-0 draw. They are on 47 points and are truly going to be in a race for the top four now with Liverpool, Spurs, and Manchester United all tightening up in the table.

The Seagulls have been better at home than they have away, but they have still had issues. They are on 15 home points to date from 11 matches. They have picked up points in four of their last five at the Amex, but they have just one win in there.  They have five points in their last three to encourage them just a bit. As for the Blues, they have been very good away from Stamford Bridge with 21 points from 11 matches played. They are ten off of City's pace, but they are still doing well. They have drawn their last two, however, so issues are rising up a little for them.

Hazard to score anytime, via Ladbrokes, is set at 23/20.

Brighton vs Chelsea Prediction

Chelsea have had real issues in the last week or so, but they should be winning this match. They win out in the end after a hard fought 90 minutes against a disciplined and committed Seagulls side.

Correct Score Prediction: Brighton 0-1 Chelsea

Team News

Chris Hughton remains without center midfielder Steve Sidwell, but he otherwise has a full side by the looks of it.

Key Man

After losing a big one to West Brom last week, the Seagulls will know full well this is a big match. And while most would see this as a chance to get a bonus point, they might just feel they could win this one with good defending and a goal. The first can be accomplished by Lewis Dunk. The center back has been instrumental in keeping them in matches all season long, and a masterclass by him could be the first step toward victory.

Team Form

Brighton have two losses, a win, and two draws in their last five matches:

2-0 loss at West Brom
2-1 home win vs Crystal Palace (FA Cup)
2-2 home draw vs Bournemouth
0-0 draw at Newcastle
2-0 loss at Chelsea

Brighton and Hove Albion Predicted Starting Line-up

Expected Line-up: 4-4-1-1

Team News

Antonio Conte will be without Pedro and striker Alvaro Morata due to suspensions for red cards on Wednesday.

Key Man

After such a high volume of draws recently, Chelsea and their manager will be eager to not only end that but also score some goals again as well. The best avenue forward is Eden Hazard. There is a lot of debate about whether or not he should play in the middle or out wide, but he has prospered in both places before and must be at his best again in this one.

Team Form

Chelsea have five draws in their last five matches:

1-1 home draw, penalty win vs Norwich (FA Cup)
0-0 home draw vs Leicester City
0-0 home draw vs Arsenal (EFL Cup)
0-0 draw at Norwich (FA Cup)
2-2 draw at Arsenal

Chelsea Predicted Starting Line-up

Expected Line-up: 3-5-2

After a loss away to Chelsea a couple of weeks back, many would assume Brighton will go down to defeat. But that is no guarantee as Chelsea simply have not been able to find the back of the net of late. They clearly look tired, and they need some rotation. Whether or not they get it could determine the outcome of this match.

Chelsea have drawn four straight matches and have failed to score a single goal in 270+ minutes of football.