JUST when it looked like Cardiff were tumbling towards relegation, they pulled out a massive win against West Ham to breathe fresh life into their survival hopes.
That 2-0 victory ensured the Bluebirds went into the international break on a high and it's a testament to the excellent job Neil Warnock has done in Wales that they still have a chance of staying up.
Along with doomed Huddersfield, Cardiff have arguably the most limited squad in the Premier League but Warnock has them punching above their weight.
After the tragic death of new signing Emiliano Sala at the start of the year, it would have been understandable had Cardiff suffered a slump in form.
But that terrible news has only united Warnock's squad further, with the Bluebirds desperate to honour his memory by securing Premier League safety.
Although the Welsh side still sit third from bottom they certainly have a fighting chance of staying up. Burnley and Southampton remain just two points ahead of them and the Clarets have played a game more so it's still in Cardiff's hands.
If Warnock's side do stay up it will be down to their home form, with the Bluebirds winning six times in their own back yard.
But they have yet to claim the scalp of one of the big boys, with Wolves and West Ham their most notable victims so far.
Manchester City romped to a 5-0 win in Wales and Manchester United thumped the Bluebirds 5-1 while Spurs strolled to a 3-0 win and Arsenal won 3-2.
That suggests Warnock's side struggle against truly top-class players and Chelsea possess plenty of them. That's why the Stamford Bridge side are a best 23/50 with Marathonbet but you can get a bit more value by doubling a Chelsea win with a clean sheet at 7/5 with Bet Victor.
Maurizio Sarri's side crashed to a disappointing 2-0 loss at Everton before the international break but should have too much class for Cardiff.
The Blues came into the weekend just three points off a Champions League place so they will be desperate to put pressure on Arsenal and Manchester United in the race for fourth.
Cardiff are without versatile Scotland international Callum Paterson after an injury on international duty ruled him out for the rest of the season. Sol Bamba and Matt Connolly are also out, which makes their chances of victory even slimmer.
Chelsea are sweating on the fitness of Ruben Loftus Cheek and Davide Zappacosta but most of their big guns are fit and ready.
Eden Hazard did the job for me in the anytime scorer market when Chelsea drew with Wolves last month so I'll stick with the Belgian again here.
He's 6/5 with 888 Sport to net at any time and that looks good value while two goals or more for Hazard stretches the odds to 11/2 with Ladbrokes.
I fancy Sarri's side to win this one quite comfortably and there's value to be had in the winning margin markets. Chelsea to win by two goals appeals at 10/3 with Bet 365 while the odds increase to 6/1 with Paddy Power for a three-goal victory.
This English Premier League match between Cardiff City and Chelsea will be played on Mar 31, 2019 and kick off at 14:05. Check below for our tipsters best Cardiff City vs Chelsea prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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