Chelsea - Burnley predictions and free betting tips [30/03/2024]

On Saturday, 30th of March, as part of the 30th round of the Premier League, Chelsea will host Burnley on their home ground. The Londoners had a fantastic March and have remained unbeaten for four consecutive games, while the visitors settled in the relegation zone and have not yet given up hope of survival. 

Chelsea

Much like last season, Chelsea are having a season unworthy of their ambitions, currently holding 11th position in the Premier League standings. With a deficit of 8 points from the top six, the chances of European qualification through the league are extremely slim. Nevertheless, the Blues have not lost in the last 4 rounds (2 victories and 2 draws) and claimed a home victory against Newcastle three weeks ago, with a score of 3:2. In the League Cup, the Londoners fell to Liverpool in the final at the end of February, while in the FA Cup just before the international break they beat Leicester (4:2) and will meet Manchester City in the semi-finals – the decisive blows were made by the substitutes Carney Chukwuemeka and Noni Madueke in stoppage time of the second half. Chelsea have scored in each of the last 11 Premier League matches, and only Luton Town (17) and Man City (13) have a longer goal streak.

Mauricio Pochettino still can't count on team captain Reece James, Frenchman Nkunku, long-absent Fofana and midfielders Lavia and Ugbo – all are injured. Centre back Colwill, meanwhile, has not recovered from a sprained ankle. Cole Palmer (11 goals and 8 assists) received a call-up to the England squad and is likely to start this Saturday; the same can be said for midfielder Gallagher (2 goals and 5 assists). Senegalese Nicolas Jackson (9 goals and 3 assists) is expected to appear at the front, while Mikhail Mudrick, who distinguished himself in the middle of the week against the Iceland team, will compete with Raheem Sterling and Noni Madueke for the left flank position.

Burnley

For Vincent Kompany's charges, Burnley's return to the top division has been very tough so far, and they will have to put in considerable effort to avoid relegation. At the moment, the team occupies the 19th position in the Premier League standings, lagging behind the safety of the 17th spot by five points. Prior to the international break, the "Clarets" won against Brentford at home (2:1), and such result was timely as they ended a 10-round winless run (3 draws and 7 losses). Of course, a lot of help came from the ejection in the eighth minute of Sergio Reguilon, whose foul on Vitinho allowed Jacob Bruun Larsen to convert a penalty; David D'atro Fofana sealed the second goal just after the one-hour mark, and Kristoffer Ajer scored only a consolation goal for the "Bees" six minutes before the end of the match.

Burnley are second-from-bottom in the Premier League away performance (only 9 points earned in 14 matches). In the visitors' call-ups, experienced Al-Dahil (defender) and Ramsey (midfielder), winger Coleo (1 goal and 1 assist) and midfielder Redmond will be absent. In addition, there is uncertainty regarding the participation of key centre back Bayer. On the other hand, forward Lyle Foster (4 goals and 3 assists) returned for the last round. The attacking duo may again consist of D'atro Fofana (4 goals in 8 matches) and Odobert (3 goals and 2 assists), the latter of whom scored for the France U-21 team during the international break.

Head-to-Head

The visitors have only beaten Chelsea once in the last 17 Premier League meetings – in August 2017 with a 3:2 score. The first round match of the current season ended with a resounding victory for the Londoners (1:4).

Prediction for the Chelsea – Burnley match

Chelsea will be the clear favourites for Saturday's clash, and a potential victory over Burnley should aid the Blues in their quest for a European finish. Mauricio Pochettino's charges were in phenomenal form prior to the international break, while the visitors are struggling massively on the road and have generally been poor against the Blues in recent years. I don't anticipate an upset here and would back the home victory with a -1.5 handicap.