Chelsea vs. Brentford pick: Premier League odds, predictions

It’s been a rough season for Chelsea.

The Blues were projected to be a potential gate-crasher in the English Premier League title race but never really got off the boil, and by the time the World Cup break came in November, they were already on their second manager of the season.

Now they are on their third. 

And while Chelsea’s underlying statistics suggest it has been unlucky more than ineffective, it’s hard to chalk up what we’ve seen out of the Blues to bad bounces and misfortune.

There’s something wrong here, and with nothing to play for in Chelsea’s last six matches, it’s hard to see things getting that much better before the offseason. 

Chelsea vs. Brentford pick

(2:45 p.m. ET)

If Chelsea is a picture of instability and wasted resources, Brentford is quite the opposite.

The Bees have been marvelous in their first two Premier League seasons and a lot of that success can be chalked up to a clear identity, a workmanlike attitude and a brilliant manager.

Brentford comes into this tilt in 10th place, but its statistical portfolio — the Bees are eighth in goal difference and seventh in expected goal differential — suggests it deserves better. 

Brentford has proven to be a dangerous underdog against bigger clubs since it joined the Premier League, and this looks like a smashing spot to back the Bees against a haphazard Chelsea team that is limping toward the summer break.