Tottenham vs Chelsea Prediction, Odds and Lineups: best bets for today's capital clash

Old rivalries are reignited this afternoon when Tottenham welcome Chelsea to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Both teams were in action on the South Coast midweek, with Chelsea cruising to a 5-1 victory over Southampton, while Spurs suffered a frustrating 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth, leaving their travelling fans frustrated and disappointed.

Matthew O’Regan breaks down this highly anticipated clash and shares his top betting tips.

Despite scepticism surrounding Enzo Maresca's appointment in the summer, Chelsea look to be in real Premier League title contention: they sit seven points off leaders Liverpool after three straight Premier League wins. The Italian is a perfectionist and lambasted his side for their sloppy start against the Saints.

The 44-year-old rung the changes on Wednesday, with Nicolas Jackson, Pedro Neto, Robert Sanchez, Levi Colwill, and Romeo Lavia all on the bench. The Blues’ strength in depth is a real advantage for them, so expect rotation again, but a similarly strong side.

Nothing has epitomised Tottenham Hotspur more than their performances this season. A campaign that looked promising after impressive away victories against Manchester United and Manchester City may just peter out due to their inconsistencies and inability to beat those sides below them.

After the 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth, Ange Postecoglou was met with discontent from the travelling faithful, with his side lucky to only lose by one goal. Spurs now sit 10th, already eight points adrift of their bitter rivals Arsenal and Chelsea.

Tottenham have become renowned for their high-octane, front-foot football under Postecoglou. While the Australian has claimed he cares more about entertainment than the result, he must be feeling the pressure now his side has won just one of their last six.

Of their seven home games, five have seen Both Teams Score, except for the 4-0 opening home game drubbing of Everton and the narrow 1-0 loss to Arsenal. Games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium average 3.43 goals, with Spurs scoring a mammoth 17 goals at home – the second most in the league.

While their early season defensive numbers were a clear improvement on last season, insufficient depth for injured centre-back duo Christian Romero and Micky Van Ven and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, coupled with the poor form of Destiny Udogie, has left Tottenham looking vulnerable defensively.

This does not make for good viewing ahead of the visit of the perilous Chelsea. The Blues have scored a league-high 31 goals, including ten in their last three. Both teams to score has also landed in 5/7 away from home, with the exceptions of  0-1 and 0-3 wins in which Bournemouth and West Ham accumulated 1.78 and 0.85 xG, respectively.

The bookies have set the goal line at a high 3.5, so a high-scoring contest is in store.

After coming in for ridicule for his hefty price tag, Moises Caicedo is slowly starting to silence the doubters. The Ecuadorian has been in stellar form, starting every league game. The 23-year-olds tenacity and off-the-ball work has made him a real fan favourite. He is averaging 2.04 fouls per game, making at least two in eight of his last nine matches. He will be tasked with dealing with James Maddison who is drawing 3.19 fouls per 90 and Yves Bissouma who is drawing 1.69.

Levi Colwill was rested midweek but should be back in a starting berth. The academy graduate has made a foul in 10 of his last 11 starts, averaging 1.42 fouls per 90. He will be up against the strong Dominic Solanke who wins 1.72 fouls per 90. Tottenham are the most fouled team in the league, so siding with Chelsea fouls may prove fruitful.

Tottenham vs Chelsea Lineups

Defenders Ben Davies and Micky van de Ven are both out for Spurs, while Rodrigo Bentancur is suspended, but expect skipper Son Heung-min to return to the starting lineup after he was benched against Bournemouth.

Enzo Maresca will have a selection headache, in a good way, given the number of in-form players he has at his disposal. Wesley Fofana and Reece James are both out.

The fullstarting lineups for Tottenham vs Chelsea will be displayed in the graphic below once the team news has been announced.