Premier League football betting - Chelsea vs Portsmouth

Portsmouth manager Avram Grant returns to Chelsea tonight for the first time since joining the South Coast club looking to turn the home side`s recent defensive woes into three points and his first away at his new side. Grant was fired as Chelsea manager at the end of the 2007 season after finishing second in the Premier League and losing only in the final of the Champions League and Carlo Ancelotti knows a similar fate could await him if he cannot turn his team`s fantastic start to the season into some silverware.

The hosts are heavy favourites for the game at 1/6 (bet $60 to win $10 profit) but have not been in their best form recently, failing to win in their last four despite scoring ten goals in this time. Their position at the top of the table now looks shaky and they are ahead of Manchester United only on goal difference.

Portsmouth have been made big underdogs tonight at 22/1 and this is understandable as they sit at the bottom of the Premier League. However, recent performances seem to indicate Grant could be turning things around, with a 2-0 win over Burnley followed by a creditable draw at Sunderland. The draw is priced at 15/2 and Chelsea have drawn three of their last four games in all competitions.

The bookmakers seem to think a comfortable home win is on the cards tonight and a 2-0 win for Chelsea has been made the favourite score for the match at 11/2, ahead of 3-0 at 13/2. A 4-0 win for Carlo Ancelotti`s men, which would surely restore some much-needed confidence, is at 10/1. A frustrating 1-1 draw, a great result for Pompey, is at 18/1 and 0-0 is 20/1. A shock 1-0 win for the visitors which would lead to some difficult questions being asked of Chelsea`s manager, is priced at 45/1.

Ivorian striker Didier Drogba,  who is in the best form of his career and arguably the most dangerous striker in Europe, is favourite to open the scoring tonight at 3/1, just ahead of strike partner Nicholas Anelka at 7/2. However, Drogba may not start and his likely replacement, Saloman Kalou, is 6/1 to step smoothly into his compatriot`s shoes. Another Ivorian, Aruna Dindane, is Portsmouth`s best hope of scoring the first goal of the match, priced at 18/1.

Carlo Ancelotti`s men are 8/15 to be winning tonight at both half-time and full-time and 4/1 to win after drawing at half-time. The bookmakers offer 12/1 that the scores are level at both the interval and the final whistle and 33/1 that Pompey take a lead into the break only to surrender it and lose at full-time. The visitors are 45/1 to hold to a lead at both half-time and full-time.

Chelsea are still odds-on favourites at 4/5 to win the Premier League this season, suggesting that their poor form recently has been seen as a minor blip. Portsmouth, however, have far bigger worries than failing to win the title as they are rooted to the bottom of the table at 8/13 for relegation and 2/1 to finish bottom. They will also lose six players, more than any other club, to the African Cup of Nations in January.

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