Match Betting (1x2)

A year ago, Chelsea at even money to beat Ajax would have seemed like an enormous price and those are the odds being supplied by the bookmakers for Tuesday’s clash at Stamford Bridge.

Paddy Power and BetVictor are among the firms going evens about Frank Lampard’s team and we think this represents a wonderful chance to double your money by backing a team who are in excellent form coming into this clash.

At the time of writing, Chelsea have recorded eight successive victories and this includes a triumph at the Amsterdam Arena where several of the visitors’ young players came of age on a European stage.

Fikayo Tomori has been excellent ever since being given the chance by Lampard at Derby when the pair worked at Pride Park, with Mason Mount having the same journey and the manager will now be delighted that Christian Pulisic is starting to click into gear.

Tammy Abraham was nearly on the scoresheet in the Netherlands and is currently keeping Michy Batshuayi and Olivier Giroud out of the team, while N’Golo Kante should be back in the team for this clash.

As for Ajax, they started the Champions League group stage with successive 3-0 wins, although that defeat against Chelsea means they have plenty of work to secure a top two berth in this section.

Erik Ten Hag’s team are 5/2 with William Hill if you think that the visitors can land a victory and we should note that they had a wonderful European adventure last season which saw them win at Real Madrid and Juventus.

The draw is a result that could be a runner considering that the stakes are high and that would keep both teams in with a chance of qualifying.

Paddy Power have 11/4 about the game ending all square and it could be an end-to-end encounter between two attack-minded teams.

First Goalscorer

Tammy Abraham is topping the First Goalscorer betting market on a weekly basis at the moment, with the England striker trading at 9/2 to score the opening goal of the game.

Abraham has been pilfering goals for the Blues despite being written off in some quarters earlier in the campaign, while Christian Pulisic recently bagged a hat-trick at Turf Moor in the Premier League and will be out to shine on a big European night.

The American is trading at 15/2 to score the first of this encounter and we also like the prospects of Callum Hudson-Odoi who is available at 9/1 and might be given the opportunity to torment the Ajax defenders again.

Asian Handicap

Chelsea will be looking to enjoy an emphatic victory over Ajax and the Blues have been recently winning matches by big margins. Therefore, those punters who expect the home side to stretch their legs against their Dutch opponents, then there are some exciting Asian Handicap opportunities available.

Chelsea -1.5 on the Asian Handicap means that Lampard’s side would need to win by two goals or more in order for this bet to profit, although Unibet have 27/10 that this happens and it’s a definite prospect.

If you really expect the English side to do a number on their opponents, then Chelsea -2.5 are trading at 7/1 with Unibet and that would involve a three-goal margin or bigger.

Alternatively, if you think Chelsea are trading too short to win this clash, then Ajax can be backed with a +0.5 Asian Handicap. This is available at 5/6 and means that the visitors simply need to avoid defeat in order for the bet to cop.

Both Teams to Score

Ladbrokes go 1/2 that Chelsea and Ajax score one goal apiece and that’s testament to the attack-minded element within both sides. However, it’s worth noting that the latter drew a blank in front of their own fans and perhaps there could be some value in backing the “No” option here.

If you think that at least one team won’t find the net in this game, then BetVictor have 17/10 about this happening and that could be a meaty price if Chelsea are able to continue improving their defensive capabilities.

It’s worth noting that Ajax have lost key personnel during the summer, with De Jong and De Lijt having rendered the Dutch champions weaker and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to Chelsea winning to nil.

Over / Under Goals

If the “Yes” option on the Both Teams to Score market is trading very short, then we can expect Over 2.5 Goals to be available at a similar price and William Hill have 8/13 about three goals or more being scored.

If you’re expecting a goal-filled match, then Over 3.5 Goals can be backed at 6/4 although some punters might want to go against the grain and Under 2.5 Goals could be a decent shout at 5/4 considering just one was scored in the reverse match.

Correct Score

We’re expecting a comfortable win for Chelsea and would go along the lines of a 3-1 winning scoreline for the Blues which is trading at 15/1 with BetVictor.

You can double up this option with the 3-0 home win at 19/1 with the same firm and hopefully get a run for your money.

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