CHELSEA welcome Southampton to Stamford Bridge for the second time this month on Tuesday night, as the two teams convene in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.
The Blues needed two late goals to overcome 10-man Saints at this venue three weeks ago in a game shrouded in VAR controversy.
That triumph has triggered a four-match winning streak for Thomas Tuchel's team, the most recent of which was a 7-0 romp against beleaguered Norwich on Saturday, on an afternoon where one of my Bet Builders banked.
The Premier League leaders now will look to keep the feelgood factor flowing by sealing their passage to the last-eight of the EFL Cup on Wednesday night.
Since going down 3-1 at Stamford Bridge, Southampton have landed their maiden league win of the season, a well-deserved 1-0 over Leeds.
Ralph Hasenhüttl's side followed up on that success with a 2-2 draw with Burnley on Saturday, but the Saints could struggle with the step up in quality this midweek.
Outright Betting
Chelsea are red-hot favourites to make it five wins on the spin, with a home win trading at 4/9 with SBK.
Southampton successfully negotiated two away ties in each of the previous two rounds, but the Saints enter this cup clash as 37/5 (SBK) outsiders while the draw inside 90 minutes pays 7/2 (SBK) with the same firm.
Betting Angles
Both teams will be much-changed on Tuesday night, but Chelsea's superior strength in depth should see them secure a place in the next round of the Carabao Cup.
However, there is little value in siding with the hosts at the aforementioned odds, so I'll head to the Bet Builder market to get a bigger price.
Combining Chelsea to win, under five match goals and over five match corners will bring about a backable 4/5 (Bet 365) shot.
Following a slight wobble at the start of the month , Chelsea appear to have rediscovered the defensive solidity that Thomas Tuchel instilled in them from the very first moment he arrived.
The Champions League holders have shutout their opponents in each of their last three matches, meaning they have won to nil on no fewer than eight occasions this term.
A repeat here makes plenty of appeal at 13/10 (Betfair) but with both teams expected to make wholesale changes, the Chelsea win and under five match goal combo looks a more shrewder approach to take at Stamford Bridge.
It's a combination that has clicked in 16 of the Blues 18 Premier League wins under the tutelage of the tactically-astute Tuchel and throwing in over five match corners looks like a canny way of boosting the odds to backable 4/5 (Bet 365) play.
The aforementioned Bet Builder would have paid out when the two sides squared off at Stamford Bridge last month and the same formula makes plenty of appeal in west London on Tuesday night.
This EFL Cup match between Chelsea and Southampton will be played on Oct 26, 2021 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Chelsea vs Southampton prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
