GRAHAM POTTER is under serious pressure at Chelsea so this West London derby with in-form Fulham is fraught with danger as he tries to halt an alarming Premier League slump.
The former Brighton boss made a decent start after taking over from Thomas Tuchel, steering the Blues through their Champions League group while keeping things ticking along in the league.
But the wheels have come off spectacularly since a 4-1 thrashing by his old club in late October, with Chelsea winning just one of their next seven domestic games.
Injuries to key players haven't helped but the Blues were ripped apart in a 4-0 FA Cup loss at Manchester City on Sunday, with some fans chanting for old boss Tuchel.
Potter desperately needs to get some wins on the board but won't find it easy against a Fulham side who have been riding high after winning promotion from the Championship.
Marco Silva's side have been the surprise package of this season's Premier League and sit in seventh place, three places and three points above Chelsea.
The Cottagers have won four in a row since returning from the World Cup break, conceding just one goal in the process, so they will be confident of piling more pain on Potter.
But they will be without star striker Aleksandar Mitrovic with the big Serb suspended after picking up too many yellow cards.
How the bookies view it
I'm surprised to see Fulham as big as 12/5 at Coral and that looks terrific value based on the form of both teams. Chelsea are favourites at a best 6/5 with SBK while the draw pays 13/5 at QuinnBet.
Recent head to head
Chelsea have bossed this West London derby and are unbeaten in the last 21 meetings since a 1-0 loss back in 2006. The last seven games have ended in wins for the Blues, including a 1-0 triumph on their last visit to Craven Cottage in 2021.
Players to watch
With Mitrovic suspended, Carlos Vinicius is likely to lead the line for Fulham. The former Spurs striker has yet to score this season but has mainly come off the bench. He's 3/1 with Bet365 to get off the mark in this one.
Potter's biggest problem has been a lack of firepower and injuries are limiting his options in attack. A goal is most likely to come from midfield and Mason Mount is 17/5 with William Hill for anytime scorer.
Anything else catch the eye?
Our man Mark cashed in by backing Manchester City to run riot on Sunday as all three of his recommended bets came up. But I'd be surprised if we saw a lot of goals in this one, especially with Mitrovic suspended. Betting against BTTS pays 5/4 with BetVictor while under 2.5 goals is evens at SBK.
I can see it being a tight game so the half-time draw stands a chance at 6/5 with Unibet while McBookie price a one-goal winning margin for either side at 13/10.
I'm a little of wary of backing Fulham for the win with Mitrovic out but Unibet are offering 11/10 on them winning at least one half and that looks worth a punt.
This English Premier League match between Fulham and Chelsea will be played on Jan 12, 2023 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Fulham vs Chelsea prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
1-1 for me