Chelsea vs West Ham prediction: Blues to keep top six push alive

Chelsea vs West Ham prediction 

• Chelsea to win and over 3.5 goals – 21/10 bet365
• Nicolas Jackson to score any time – 13/8 BoyleSports
• Conor Gallagher over 2.5 fouls – 17/10 BetVictor

Chelsea are bidding to salvage an underwhelming season with a top-six finish and may strengthen their bid at the expense of West Ham at Stamford Bridge on Sunday (2pm). 

The Blues are three points behind Manchester United in sixth place, but can move level on points with the Red Devils before they play on Monday night against Crystal Palace by beating the Hammers on home soil.  

Football betting sites price them at 3/1 to finish in the top six, but those odds have narrowed after Mauricio Pochettino’s side defeated Tottenham 2-0 last time out.

Chelsea’s form at the Bridge has been their saving grace as after a difficult start to the campaign, the Blues have won eight out of their last 10 games at home. 

West Ham still have top six ambitions of their own, although they’re five points behind United. David Moyes’ men dug out a solid 2-2 draw with Liverpool last week but are winless in their last five in all competitions.  

Chelsea are favourites at 4/6 in the Premier League odds, while the Hammers are 4/1 to get the win on the road.

Chelsea vs West Ham betting: Blues to notch another home win 

After winning only one of their opening seven home matches in the Premier League this season, Chelsea have bounced back in fine style in the second half of the campaign.  

That early run included defeats to Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa and Brentford, and although the Blues are still inconsistent, their form at Stamford Bridge should give them confidence to take into next season.  

Pochettino deserves credit for holding his team together and has given them a real shot at qualifying for the Europa League with a top-six finish.  

Since playing out an eight-goal thriller with Manchester City, the Blues have reeled off eight wins in 10 games, only losing to Wolves in a 4-2 defeat in March.

Chelsea have had no issue scoring goals but keeping them out had been a problem until their victories over Everton and Spurs.  

Games at Stamford Bridge have averaged 3.65 goals this season, while West Ham’s matches on the road are averaging 3.88 goals per game. That suggests we could be primed for a lot of goalmouth action on Sunday.  

Only six teams have a better away record in the Premier League than West Ham this season, but Chelsea seem to be figuring things out at home. Looking at betting sites, we’re backing a win for the Blues and over 3.5 goals at 21/10 with bet365. 

Chelsea vs West Ham prediction 1: Chelsea to win and over 3.5 goals – 21/10 bet365

Chelsea vs West Ham tips: Can Jackson end the season on a high note? 

Nicolas Jackson has scored 11 Premier League goals this season, but he has an expected goals (xG) rating of 15.8. It’s fair to say he should have a lot more goals to his name, perhaps even as many as Cole Palmer’s 20 strikes this season.  

Jackson has been wasteful in front of the net but has still managed to break double figures. 

Pochettino will be hopeful that the 22-year-old has learned from his experiences and will become more clinical next term. On the bright side, Jackson is still getting chances and he did take his opportunity against Tottenham in midweek.

Chelsea fans have naturally been frustrated with the former Villarreal man. 

He’s not been the classic centre-forward in the mould of a Didier Drogba or even Diego Costa, who fired them to Premier League titles. Jackson remains raw, but he does have a lot of great attributes. Whether his finishing can improve with time remains to be seen. 

Jackson will be further boosted facing a West Ham defence that has kept only one clean sheet in their last 21 matches. Betting apps naturally make Golden Boot hopeful Palmer the favourite in the any time scorer market, but we like Jackson’s odds to notch another goal at the Bridge at 13/8 with BoyleSports. 

Chelsea vs West Ham prediction 2: Nicolas Jackson to score any time – 13/8 BoyleSports

Chelsea vs West Ham prediction: More Gallagher fouls on the agenda? 

Conor Gallagher has committed the most fouls in the Premier League by a considerable distance. 

The Chelsea skipper has racked up 75 fouls this season, 17 more than his nearest rival, Wolves' Joao Gomes. Gallagher is renowned for his combative approach, and he has attracted the referee's attention in almost every game this season. 

The England international has committed at least one foul in 29 of his 33 Premier League games. 

Speculation continues to rage regarding his future at Stamford Bridge, but he has made himself an integral part of Pochettino’s team even with the considerable outlay on Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo.  

He does the dirty work for his team and is not afraid to throw himself about. We’re naturally drawn to the fouls market on gambling sites for a wager on Gallagher and like the value at 17/10 on BetVictor for over 2.5 fouls. 

This bet would have paid out in three of his last four games, and 15 times over the course of the campaign. 

Chelsea vs West Ham prediction 3: Conor Gallagher over 2.5 fouls – 17/10 BetVictor

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