2011 EPL Free Tips – Stoke City vs Chelsea Premier League Odds, Tips and Predictions – Favourite and Tips to Win: English Premier League betting tips and preview for Sunday, August 14th’s Stoke City vs Chelsea EPL match are now posted LIVE on NSAwins.com including current odds and favourite to win at online bookmakers Bodog and intertops.
2011 English Premier League: Stoke City vs. Chelsea Preview
The Blues versus the Potters – who will taste victory on August 14th and get off to a flying Premier League start? This one will be a tough game for Stoke City players, who will be playing on their home ground, and we know just how passionate the crowd at Britannia Stadium can get. At the same time, Chelsea cannot afford to lose their first EPL match, and Andre Villas-Boas certainly doesn’t want to start his Premier League on the wrong foot. But given the fact that Chelsea is the stronger team, and largely expected to finish in third place this year, it shouldn’t be difficult to expect a Blues’ win.
2011 English Premier League Tips and Predictions: What will be Tony Pulis’s strategy?
Stoke City manager Tony Pulis has done a good job steering his side to a decent 13th position last season, and he will be looking to continue the same this year. In a bid to strengthen the side’s defence, he has added Matthew Upson and Jonathan Woodgate. However, injured players Danny Higginbotham and Ricardo Fuller will be missing in action. Pulis will be pinning his hopes on Jermaine Pennant, Matthew Ethrington and Jon Walters to challenge Chelsea and make an impact on the field.
The confidence at the Stoke camp is high, with midfielder Dean Whitehead admitting that while Chelsea is a tough team, the squad is all geared up to beat bigger clubs and push forward with the same enthusiasm they displayed last season. It’s to be seen if this confidence translates into a knock-out performance against the stronger side.
2011 English Premier League Betting: Will Chelsea repeat its brilliant last season start?
The Blues beat West Brom 6-0 in their first EPL game last season, finished as runners-up, and have won all their pre-season matches. But Abramovich will have his sights set on a title under new manager Villas-Boas. The Blues have had a hushed summer transfer window, with the more recent big signing being Fernando Torres, who is yet to prove his mettle. If the ex-Liverpool player can show the stuff he’s made of in crucial EPL games, then there is no reason why Chelsea cannot finish at the top of the table this time around too.
But it’s not just Torres that fans will watch out for – Chelsea’s most recent signing, 18-year old striker Romelu Lukaku, is being hailed as the new Didier Drogba. His 20-goal haul last season for ex-club Anderlecht, has made him a force to reckon with. However, the Blues will be missing midfielders Lampard and Essien in their season starter.
2011 English Premier League Free Tips and Predictions: Betting odds
The odds for a Stoke City win stand at 9/2 at both Bodog and intertops, while those for a Chelsea win stand at 4/6 at intertops and 8/13 at Bodog. So, no surprises here, Chelsea is the firm favourite to start of its EPL challenge in style. Stoke City, for its part, can hope to carry on its decent last season Premier League performance and try its best to restrict the Blues as much as is possible. The mood at Britannia Stadium could lift the Potters’ spirit, but they also face the pressure of putting on a good show.
August 14th – Liverpool vs. Sunderland Free Tips: Chelsea to Win
Please read our 2011 English Premier League Preview, Odds and Free Tips article for 2011 EPL Betting.