Football
Charlton vs Chelsea FA Cup Preview: Odds, Tips & Prediction
Date: Saturday, January 10 Venue: The Valley Kick-off: 8pm GMT Charlton will look to cause an upset when they host managerless Chelsea in the FA Cup third round on Saturday, January 10. At the time of writing, Liam Rosenior was due to hold talks about becoming Enzo Maresca’s successor following the Italian’s surprise departure, but nothing was confirmed. The Blues, who picked up a crucial point away to Manchester City in the Premier League in the battle to secure a top-four spot, are facing a rather luckless Charlton, who will be desperately trying to keep themselves afloat in the Championship. These two sides haven’t faced each other in nearly 20 years, and this was once a celebrated top-flight London derby. To build up excitement, SportsBoom has shared some tips and located odds from football betting online sites that you can line your slips up with.
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Enzo Fernandez of Chelsea /Getty images
Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability: Chelsea Heavily Backed
To kick off our Charlton vs Chelsea preview, we’ve unearthed the latest matchwinner odds from one of the finest new betting sites.
Home: 29/5 (6.80) – 14.7%
Draw: 19/5 (4.80) – 20.8%
Away: 2/5 (1.40) – 71.4%
*Odds courtesy of Copybet, subject to change.
Head-to-Head Record
FA Cup clashes have been in short supply between Charlton and Chelsea, but we dug into the archives, and this is what we found.
Last Two Meetings (FA Cup)
- 07/01/95: Chelsea 3-0 Charlton
- 06/03/63: Charlton 0-3 Chelsea
Charlton Current Form – WLLDD
Just five points above the Championship relegation zone in 19th spot, it has been a largely unforgettable season for Charlton. Although they picked up a 1-0 win against fellow strugglers Oxford just before Christmas, it has been far from pretty since then.
Nathan Jones’ men recently let a two-goal lead slip at Ewood Park, and they were left to rue their missed opportunities.
While the league form has been sluggish, the Addicks will relish testing themselves against one of the Premier League’s established powerhouses.
Key Players to Watch
- Charlie Kelman
The American forward has been a rare bright spot for his club in an otherwise dispiriting campaign. He scored a quickfire double against Blackburn, and he would love to register an FA Cup goal against Chelsea. - Sonny Carey
Although he’s been restricted to a few cameos lately, Sonny Carey had an early flourish in the first few months of the season, scoring five times in the Championship, so he should be one to watch out for. - Greg Doherty
A near ever-present feature of the midfield, Greg Doherty may have picked up four cautions this season, but his experience could pull Charlton out of some sticky situations.
Charlton Team News
Charlton have four players out, including Onel Hernandez (muscle injury), and while the Chelsea game may have come too soon, he should be fit for the following Championship game at home to Sheffield United.
Chelsea Current Form – WDLDD
While their Premier League title hopes have dissipated over the past six weeks, Chelsea are in the mix for a top-four spot, and the late Enzo Fernandez equaliser away to Manchester City last weekend could prove to be priceless come the end of the season.
The Blues are a side in transition given Maresca’s recent departure, but the West London outfit are accustomed to success, and they’ve lifted the FA Cup on eight occasions – only Manchester United (13) and Arsenal (14) have won it more.
Chelsea can’t afford to be complacent, but they’ve beaten Charlton three times in their past five meetings in league and cup, with the other two matches ending in draws.
Key Players to Watch
- Cole Palmer
A mercurial player, Cole Palmer can glide past players with consummate ease, and he gives Chelsea a cutting edge. Injuries this season have restricted his involvement this term, but he’s scored twice in his past five league outings. - Reece James
Whether it is long, raking passes or pinpoint precision from free-kicks, Reece James is a joy to watch in full flight, and he can hurt Charlton. - Enzo Fernandez
The Argentine midfielder is clever on and off the ball with his movement, and he has made some vital contributions lately, scoring against Bournemouth and City in the league.
Chelsea Team News
Wesley Fofana sat out the City game due to illness, so it is hoped he will be ready to face Charlton, while full-back Marc Cucurella, who came off with a hamstring injury against Villa in December, will be assessed in the run-up to the Charlton tie.
Predicted Line-Ups
Charlton (3-1-4-2)
Kaminski, Burke, Jones, Bell, Coventry, Bree, Berry, Rankin-Costello, Campbell, Leaburn, Kelman
Chelsea (4-2-3-1)
Jorgensen; Acheampong, Chalobah, Badiashile, Cucurella, James, Fernandez, Estevao, Palmer, Neto, Pedro
Suggested Bets
To guide our predictions, we’ve wandered over to the markets and plucked out some lines which could serve as useful football betting tips
Chelsea to Score First: Chelsea have a good record against Charlton, and in their past two league outings, the Blues took the lead within the first 20 minutes. This is a good omen, we believe, for this FA Cup clash. (3/8 with Betway)
Chelsea to Win & Both Teams to Score: Games have often been tight between Charlton and Chelsea, with the BTTS line hit in three of the past four clashes. Combine Chelsea to win with the BTTS market, and this is worth checking out. (15/8 with William Hill)
Chelsea Ahead at Half-Time: Chelsea have often got off to strong starts against Charlton, taking early leads, so there is some merit in this line for the visitors to be ahead at the interval. (79/100 with Kwiff)
Value Bets
Chelsea to Win by 1 Goal: The winning margin is often a fun line to try, and the last time Chelsea faced Charlton at The Valley, they prevailed by one goal. A repeat is worth latching onto. (5/2 with Spreadex)
Anytime Scorer - Enzo Fernandez: Given his recent run of form, bagging in two goals in two league appearances, Fernandez has a knack for popping up in the right place, and he could score for a third game in a row in all comps. (41/20 with BetMGM)
Chelsea Total Corners Over 8.5: Although Chelsea were edged out on their last visit to South East London, they could build up the pressure from corners, and Over 8.5 isn’t overly ambitious. (29/10 with Leovegas)
Prediction: Chelsea to Win & to Nil
Although FA Cup meetings between Charlton and Chelsea have been virtually few and far between, Chelsea won’t want to spurn the opportunity to add to Charlton’s woes. The Addicks, of course, can take a short breather from their Championship troubles, but it’s hard to see them causing problems, let alone pulling off an upset. The Blues, given their strength in depth, should be too much for Charlton. They could win and keep a clean sheet to make serene progress into the fourth round.
Charles Perrin has spent over six years writing about sports betting, working with some of the UK’s top sportsbooks, including bet365 and William Hill.