THE enforced three-month break looked to have done Chelsea the world of good – until their shock defeat defeat at West Ham on Wednesday night.
Having lost one London derby, they're now seeking to avoid a second just three days later when they face another struggling side, Watford.
Having won just four of 10 matches before the coronavirus pandemic struck, Frank Lampard's side were on a roll with three straight wins until the Hammers burst their bubble.
Having blown the chance to move third, their lead in the race for the Champions League is now just two points and they can't afford another slip-up against the Hornets.
The visitors have plenty of problems of their own and find themselves in a sticky predicament at the wrong end of the table, just a point outside the relegation zone.
The initial bounce of Nigel Pearson's arrival as manager in December has long since worn off and they have picked up just one victory in 10 league games, with only a solitary point to show for the last four.
How do the bookies view it?
Having won three on the spin at Stamford Bridge on league duty, Chelsea are 4-9 at Ladbrokes to make it four.
Watford are big outsiders at 15-2 with William Hill to plunder full points at a venue where they last won back in 1986, while the draw is 15-4 at Betway.
Betting angles
Chelsea have dominated this fixture in recent times, wining six of the last seven meetings and nine of 10 at home.
After their Hammers blip, they need an instant response and should get it. Back the Blues and over 2.5 goals at 11-10 with Ladbrokes to continue a trend that has seen at least three goals in all but one of the previous dozen meetings.
If Chelsea can ship three goals to a West Ham side that gone three games without scoring, they can concede to a similarly misfiring Watford.
The Blues looked especially frail at defending set-pieces in midweek and Watford have the height to take advantage. Both teams has trapped in six of the last seven meetings, and same again looks worth taking at 19-20 with Betway.
This English Premier League match between Chelsea and Watford will be played on Jul 4, 2020 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Chelsea vs Watford prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
