Siding with West Ham has certainly proved profitable this season and no reason whatsoever to abandon the Hammers now.
Despite a hugely productive campaign in which Slaven Bilic’s men still have their sets on a top four finish in the Premier League, as well as at least one FA Cup appearance at Wembley ahead of their quarter-final replay with Manchester United, West Ham remain underestimated by the bookmakers and why they are such a big price at Stamford Bridge is bewildering.
The odds compilers rate Chelsea odds on chances to get the better of their London rivals but the Blues are nine points adrift of their upcoming opponents after a troubled campaign and their form at Stamford Bridge has been dire.
It seems remarkable that the defending champions should have won just five of 15 top flight matches by mid-March but Chelsea have really struggled under both Jose Mourinho and interim manager Guus Hiddink to put teams away in front of their own fans and West Ham will be relishing causing another upset.
So impressive at Old Trafford last Sunday when unfortunate to be held 1-1 by the Red Devils, Bilic and his boys have now lost just four of 32 matches in all competitions and that statistic alone is enough to be opposing Chelsea.
In Dimitri Payet the visiting Croatian manager possesses arguably England’s brightest star and I’m looking forward to seeing the Frenchman in action once again on the biggest stage.
Payet’s free-kick last time out to beat David de Gea was a joy to behold and it is now 11 goals this term for the midfielder.
Without a win in three matches and only one success on home soil in 2016, Chelsea are there to be taken on at the prices and West Ham must be fancied to find the net at least once with the hosts having kept just three Premier League clean sheets at home all term.
Hiddink must also do battle without the services of striker Diego Costa, suspended after seeing red in the 2-0 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park, and it’s a straightforward lay of the favourites.
3pts Lay Chelsea (vs. West Ham) @ 1.80 (Betfair)