FA Cup football betting - Chelsea vs Stoke

Holders Chelsea host Stoke today in the FA Cup hoping to end their poor run of form which has seen their lead at the top of the Premiership cut to just one point and put them on the brink of being knocked out of the Champions League. Michael Ballack and Juliano Belletti were both sent off in last weekend`s 4-2 home defeat to Manchester City and Carlo Ancelotti will be hoping for a big improvement on their most recent performance.

Despite their problems, Chelsea are strong favourites for the game at 1/4 (bet £40 to win £10 profit), leaving Stoke as big underdogs at 11/1, with the draw at 5/1. The visitors, whose combative style of football has placed them eleventh in the table, saw their eight-match unbeaten run brought to an end by Arsenal in a game that will be remebered for the horrific injury inflicted on Aaron Ramsey by centre-back Ryan Shawcross, who will join Ballack and Belletti in missing out today.

The bookmakers seem to think a comfortable home win is on the cards today and have made a 2-0 win for Chelsea the favourite score at 11/2, followed by 1-0 at 7/1 with Canbet and 3-0 at 15/2. A 1-1 draw, which would surely represent further evidence of Chelsea`s decline, is available at 11/1, with 0-0 at 16/1. A shock 1-0 win for Stoke, which would send shivers down the spines of Chelsea`s supporters, is 25/1 with Paddy Power.

Ivorian powerhouse Didier Drogba, who has scored thirty-two goals in thirty-six games in all competitions this season, has been made favourites to open the scoring today at 10/3 with Coral. French international Nicholas Anelka is 9/2 with Bet365 and Daniel Sturridge is 11/2 with the same firm. Jamaican forward Ricardo Fuller is seen as Stoke`s best chance of scoring the first goal of the match and is 12/1 with Ladbrokes.

Chelsea are 4/5 to lead today at both half-time and full-time and are 7/2 to win the match after drawing at half-time. The bookmakers offer 9/1 that both halves end in a draw and Stoke are as long as 28/1 with Boylesports to be winning at the end of each half. The same firm offer the same price that the Potters win the match after the scores are level at the interval.

The Blues are favourites to lift the FA Cup this season at 11/10 but will need to get their act together if they are to continue to compete on all fronts. Stoke are not seen as a serious threat and are 28/1 with Coral to earn a shock cup success.

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