Chelsea at Middlesbrough: Complete FA Cup gambling guide

Chelsea continues its FA Cup journey on Saturday when it travels to the Riverside Stadium to take on Middlesbrough. The Blues have had a tough go of things recently in the competition, stumbling to the finish line in their last two victories. They reached the quarterfinals via a comeback win over Luton Town nearly three weeks ago, and they struggled against League One side Plymouth Argyle before that fixture. Nevertheless, Thomas Tuchel’s men have found a way to survive and advance throughout each stage of the competition.

The reigning European and World Champions take on a stingy Boro side at the weekend. The Championship playoff contenders have knocked out some notable names already during this campaign, including Manchester United and Tottenham in the last two rounds. Middlesbrough is seen as the lovable Cinderella story in this year’s FA Cup. The question is, will the magic of the cup be behind it in the quarterfinals against one of the country’s most unbeatable squads?

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Here is the gambling guide to the contest between Chelsea and Middlesbrough

The oddsmakers, obviously, don’t believe in magic. The visitors—despite little support from their travelling fans due to government sanctions—are the runaway favorites in the eyes of bettors, cashing in at -195 to win the competition less than 24 hours before kickoff. It goes without saying there is little value in betting on the final result, unless of course you believe Middlesbrough will continue its improbable run and reach the semifinals. In this case, there is a lot of money to be had if you’re backing Chris Wilder’s side, who comes in at +550 to advance.

While the recent results of both teams in the FA Cup would suggest that the Boro are likeliest to keep a clean sheet in this match, the books tell a different story. The Blues are more likely to keep their opponents out of goal, coming in at +120 to hold Middlesbrough scoreless. On the flip side, the home team’s odds to keep a clean sheet are similar to their odds to win, +485. For those of you who are backing the Boro, this could open the door for a parlay with tremendous value at +3703. I would recommend erring on the side of caution here though.

Middlesbrough kept a clean sheet against Spurs in the FA Cup last 16, but that’s only its third game in the last 10 without conceding a goal. Meanwhile, Chelsea has kept its opponent out of the net in six of its last 10 games. Odds are that number would’ve risen to seven if the Blues had started a real defense (as opposed to Ruben Loftus-Cheek as a centerback) at Luton Town. It’s safer to back Chelsea to blank the Boro on Saturday for obvious reasons.

Official odds (via WynnBet as of March 18)

Chelsea ML: -195
Middlesbrough ML: +550
Draw: +325
Over/Under: 2.5 goals (-140/+110)

My picks

I’m not one for betting individual lines. Personally, I love a spicy parlay. This is perfect for a game in which the Blues are heavily favored as there isn’t any real value in picking straights. Therefore, I’m going to cook up an irresistible play for The Pride of London‘s wonderful readers ahead of this highly anticipated FA Cup quarterfinal clash.

For the first pick, give me Chelsea ML (-195). There isn’t much value in this pick alone, but we’re banking on Tuchel coming through for us in the contest, so it adds a little something extra to the bet. Next, I’m going to go with the halftime result to be a draw (+135). I believe the Blues will be the first team to score (-230), I just don’t see it coming before halftime given how disciplined Wilder is with his team’s defensive set-up. I think Chelsea will leave the Riverside Stadium with a victory and a clean sheet (+110), which means it will ultimately score the last goal, as well (-225). While a five-leg parlay isn’t exactly the safest bet, I did promise something spicy. Nevertheless, there is still some safety within this juicy parlay (+1447), seeing as a lone goal from the Blues in the second half and a 1-0 victory could see this bet cash in.

What are some of the bets you’ll be placing ahead of kickoff on Saturday? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter!