Sunday 13/04/2014, 18:00, English Premier League, Round 34, Swansea vs Chelsea

Swansea vs Chelsea Betting Preview

Chelsea trails the leaders by two points, but with Liverpool about to play Manchester City in the most interesting game of the round, the Blues must like their chances. Mourinho and his players are cruising high after offsetting a 3-1 deficit in the Champions League and qualifying to the semifinals at the expense of PSG. Today, Chelsea has the chance of retaking the first place in the domestic championship, but they will encounter fierce opposition from relegation-threatened Swansea.

Swansea vs Chelsea Betting Odds

At Ladbrokes

Swansea 5.00, Draw 3.75 Chelsea 1.75

Swansea vs Chelsea Betting Tips

The hosts are in a decent position relegation-wise, but they are surely thinking about how many points they've dropped in the second half of the season. Their performance on the road was never stellar, but at least in front of their fans they used to be a force to be reckoned with. The slide started in December and continued in 2014, with Swansea yet to win consecutive Premiere League games.

Now they sit in the 15th place, tied with Web Brom and one point ahead of Norwich, but they also have a game in hand. Except for Bartley who will miss tonight due to an injury, the hosts are at full strength and will be fielding a conservative 4-5-1 starting formation with Bony as the only striker. He did a good job so far and is the uncontested top scorer for Swansea.

Chelsea defenders are not intimidated by Bony though, as they've had plenty of chances to play against some of the best strikers in the world. Mourinho will field a similar formation to the one that defeated PSG on Tuesday with the difference residing in the fact that Hazard will be missing. He suffered an injury and won't travel with the team, as his presence will be needed in the last rounds of the Premier League.

Chelsea welcomes back Mohamed Salah, Nemanja Matic who shook off their injuries, while Ramires' three-match ban has expired. The midfield will be reinforced as a result of these players returning to their rotation and Hazard's absence should go unnoticed if Demba Ba starts upfront. He exceeded expectation on Tuesday and scored a vital goal for the Blues, so he is expected to feature in the starting formation.

Key Facts

• Swansea has failed to win back-to-back games in 2014 and has lost a record 16 games this season
• The two teams met three times with Swansea playing hosts and all the games ended as draws

Swansea vs Chelsea Betting Prediction

The odds for an away win are relatively low at 1.75, but this is not a regular match for Chelsea. They can't settle for a draw if they want to keep their Premier League winning dreams alive. This is the perfect time to back the visitors at full stakes as they are highly motivated and in excellent form.

Bet: Chelsea @ 1.75 with Ladbrokes