Tottenham vs Chelsea Predictions, Tips & Analysis May 2nd

On Thursday, one of the most anticipated games every year in the Premier League is set to take place as Chelsea host Tottenham in a London derby. This game has always proved to be one to watch in recent years and almost always guarantees drama. Read below for expert EPL insights and tips on a game that looks to be as exciting as always with both teams having a lot at stake.

Can Ange's Spurs Make Top 4?

Sunday's defeat against Arsenal has left Tottenham with a mountain to climb if they want to secure that final Champions League spot. With 5th place no longer good enough to secure a place in the Champions League, Spurs must leapfrog Unai Emery's Aston Villa for fourth place if they wish to qualify. The latest Premier League betting odds have Aston Villa as the heavy favorites to qualify with odds of -600 compared to Spurs' odds of +400, and looking at the Premier League table, it's easy to see why. Villa are currently 7 points ahead of Tottenham although the London club do have 2 games in hand.

However, the remaining fixtures are where Villa really gain their advantage, although both sides must still face Liverpool, Tottenham also must host current title favorites Manchester City and of course, must face their derby rivals, Chelsea. With only one win in their last 4 games, Ange Postecoglou hopes Spurs can seriously improve their form and throw one last shot at qualification for the Champions League by beating their London rivals.

Can Chelsea Push for Europe?

Mauricio Pochettino's first season at Chelsea has felt like a complete repeat of last season under Graham Potter. The team's own inconsistency has been its main downfall. This was highlighted by following up a 6-0 victory vs Everton with a 5-0 loss to Arsenal. They currently lie in 9th place in the table; however, a win on Thursday would see them jump to 8th and be only 3 points off, with Manchester United in 6th place. With 7th place being good enough for the Europa Conference League and 6th place securing the Europa League, Mauricio Pochettino will be hoping his side can end the season on a slightly more positive note than it has been for them so far. Failure to achieve European qualification could put Pochettino's job in jeopardy so no doubt he will be looking for a win on Thursday.

Many Premier League predictions see Chelsea coming below 6th but with Manchester United and Newcastle, two teams above Chelsea in the league table, yet to play each other, Chelsea could easily finish above the two teams should that matchup result in a draw. Bet365 are offering odds of +550 for Chelsea to finish in the top 6 and I imagine these odds will drop by quite a bit should Chelsea come away with a win on Thursday.

First Tip

A Card Friendly Game? (-225)

Tottenham vs Chelsea has always been a game where the tension between the two sides seems to get the better of them. In their match earlier this season, Tottenham picked up 4 cards, including 2 red cards, whilst Chelsea picked up 5 yellow cards. In addition, the match referee, Robert Jones, has averaged 4.47 cards per game in the Premier League this season, so I expect this game to be quite card-friendly. With both sides desperate for a result, I am predicting there to be 2+ cards for both teams in the match. This is being priced by bet365 at -225.

Both Teams to Score? (-138)

In addition to having a lot of cards, this game promises to be a goal fest. Chelsea and Tottenham love to attack but don't know how to defend. Spurs have only kept one clean sheet in their last 17 games whilst in 8 of Chelsea's last 11 games, both sides have managed to grab 2 or more goals each. It seems like both teams scoring will be an obvious outcome; however, with odds as low as -334, I have decided to back Tottenham to score at least two goals at -138.

A Busy Game for the Goalkeepers

As I mentioned before, this game has promising goals, as both teams love to attack. This particular fixture can, at times, almost turn into an NBA game because of how end-to-end it is. I will be hoping that this is the case on Thursday night and am predicting that both goalkeepers will make at least 2 saves each.

Diarmuid's First Tip: Both teams are to receive 2+ cards, Tottenham to score 2+ goals and both Keepers to make over 1.5 saves at +500. I have decided to also tip a same-game parlay at higher odds, for the bettors who prefer to take a higher risk and back the longshot bet.

Second Tip

Cole Palmer Over 1.5 Shots on Target (+110)

Cole Palmer seems to be Chelsea's only source of anything creative at the minute. The former Man City man has carried this Chelsea side on his back all season and is in the Premier League Golden Boot race because of it. He is currently priced as the second favorite for the boot with odds of +400 on Bet365. The Chelsea midfielder is one goal behind former Manchester City teammate Erling Haaland in the race to be the Premier League top scorer this year and for that reason, I believe the Chelsea man will be looking to shoot at goal whenever he gets the opportunity to do so. He has averaged 3 shots on goal per match this season and at odds of +110, I am backing him to take more on Thursday with at least 2 of them being on target.

Ben Davies Yellow Card (+300)

With Destiny Udogie out for the remainder of the season, Ben Davies will likely start at left back for Tottenham. He's certainly not the fastest of fullbacks in the Premier League and doesn't particularly like coming up against tricky and pacy wingers. He was booked last week against Arsenal after struggling against Bukayo Saka all game and I could see the same happening again on Thursday. At odds of +300, he is my pick to be booked. 

Conor Gallagher to Score or Assist (+175)

Conor Gallagher has enjoyed what is probably his best season in a Chelsea shirt. He has scored 6 goals and provided 4 assists including goals in crucial games throughout the season like last week when he scored a crucial equaliser late on against Aston Villa. When the two sides met in November Gallagher provided an assist to Nicholas Jackson in the final minutes. I am expecting a big performance from Gallagher on Thursday which could include him scoring or assisting.

Diarmuid's Second Tip: Cole Palmer over 1.5 shots on target, Ben Davies's yellow card and Conor Gallagher to score or assist at +2000.