Football 
Horse Racing 
Mixed martial arts Chelsea vs Liverpool Bet Builder Tips, Opta Stats, Player Props: Expect A Banger At The Bridge
The Premier League is back, we’ve got Chelsea vs Liverpool bet builder tips, and we’re in for an absolute treat on Sunday afternoon. Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea welcome Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in what is the standout game of the opening weekend at Stamford Bridge.
This encounter should be a cracker, with both sides having a point to prove. We’ve constructed a bet builder for this clash with plenty of reasoning and stats to support the selections.
Bet Builder odds: 4.00
England, Premier League, August 13th, 16:30 (UK)
Odds via bet365 as at 16:00, August 9th 2023. Odds may now differ.
Chelsea v Liverpool: Enthralling Action In The Super Sunday Sun
- Liverpool haven’t lost their opening Premier League game in any of the last 10 seasons (W8 D2), since a 3-0 loss at West Bromwich Albion in 2012-13 under Brendan Rodgers.
- No team has won more of their opening games to a Premier League campaign than Chelsea (20), with the Blues picking up more points than any other side on MD1 (66).
- Apart from the three teams to be relegated at the end of 2022-23, Chelsea have picked up fewer wins (4) and fewer points (20) so far in 2023 than any other Premier League side.
- Mohamed Salah has scored in Liverpool’s opening Premier League game in all six of his seasons with the Reds. His eight MD1 goals in total is a joint record in the competition.
See here for a rundown of the most intriguing stats in our weekly partnership with OPTA: OPTA Stats x bettingexpert Match Day One Preview.
Chelsea v Liverpool: Can Poch’s Blues Contain Klopp’s Ferocious Forwards?
H3: BTTS – Yes
Liverpool’s 2022/23 campaign was disappointing, especially from a defensive aspect. Klopp’s side was a shadow of themselves from what we’ve seen years before and failed to edge into the Champions League competition. They still needed several reinforcements, such as a number 6 and a central defender who can also play at right-back. Nevertheless, we should see considerable improvements in performance and results.
Catastrophic is probably the fairest way to describe Chelsea’s campaign last season; it was a total mess from top to bottom. They had too many players, which were all bought in within a short time period. They were very quick with their decisions, such as getting rid of Graham Potter and then employing Frank Lampard once again, a manager who has proven that he struggles massively at this level.
Both clubs will be more than happy to put last season behind them, the present and future is the most important factor, and I’m somewhat optimistic that both of these sides will have strong campaigns.
Pochettino is a breath of fresh air; he’ll play exciting football and get the best out of a side that lacked goals last campaign. They’ve recruited well in the summer and will have an identity about them. Chelsea has looked like a decent outfit in pre-season, but of course, you can never really get too excited over a few friendly matches.
Despite their impressive offence, Liverpool, defensively, they’ve looked underwhelming, which has seen them keep a single clean sheet in five pre-season friendlies. The Reds conceded 30 goals on the road last campaign, keeping just four clean sheets across those 19 outings.
In recent meetings between these two clubs, there’s been very little action in terms of goals. Both clashes last season saw two stalemates, but it’s incredibly hard to see another here.
Liverpool Over 11.5 Shots
With Liverpool’s frightening attack, you’d be foolish to expect anything less than plenty of shots. They have a whole host of exciting names across the front line. Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai will also provide a goal threat from midfield.
Backing the Reds to record 12 or more shots looks like a decent selection to boost the bet builder’s odds; this selection cashed in nine of their last ten matches in the 2022/23 season.
I’d expect Poch to respect the Liverpool side; they most certainly won’t want a shootout with them, so backing off, soaking up pressure and allowing shots from afar may be an option they’d consider.
Darwin Nunez, Mo Salah, Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota, and Luis Diaz could all feature in this fixture; they all love a pop at goal, so this seems a sensible angle to consider.
Both Teams Over 0.5 Second Half Cards
Alongside goals, I think we’ll see some cards brandished by Anthony Taylor on Sunday afternoon. The referee cautioned both sides after the break in 63% of his 30 Premier League matches last season. Both sides will get stuck in and will do anything for their side to start the season with an opening-day victory.
This selection cashed in both meetings last season, Anthony Taylor officiated the most recent clash in April, and five second-half cards were awarded that night.
We’ve seen a massive jump in cards awarded throughout the EFL, with the Premier League expected to follow suit. The extra minutes added will also help the cause regarding cards.
Over 21.5 Free Kicks
With what is expected to be an intense 90 minutes, I foresee plenty of challenges from either side. Therefore the freekick angle appeals; 28 and 29 free kicks were awarded in each H2H last season, so backing there to be at least 22 shouldn’t be a huge ask.
Chelsea will arrive here with a point to prove. They set unwanted records last season. There’s plenty of talent within the squad, which will cause plenty of teams a problem throughout the season. Pochettino was the perfect candidate for the job, and will expect a strong performance from his side as they look to give the fans something to cheer about.
There is always potential for the players wanting to impress to become a little too eager and commit silly fouls, and we all know just how easy some go over nowadays looking for a cheap free kick.
RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING
At bettingexpert, we always take a responsible approach to gambling. We’ll never bet more than we can afford or chase losses. For more advice, head to our Responsible Gambling hub.
