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Sunday’s showdown between Liverpool and Chelsea will be quite the litmus test for both sides.
The Reds, who are currently sitting at -175 on the three-way moneyline, are looking to consolidate their place at the top of the table, while the Blues are trying to prove they’re a legitimate title contender.
A win for Chelsea would put them within one point of Liverpool, who currently own a one-point edge on Manchester City and Arsenal through seven matches.
Liverpool vs. Chelsea odds & picks
Both of these clubs had high expectations for this season despite embedding in new managers, but their situations were quite different.
For Liverpool, Arne Slot came in to replace legendary manager Jurgen Klopp after a spell of consistent success, while Enzo Maresca arrived at Chelsea amid turmoil.
The Blues were going through managers quicker than the Cleveland Browns go through quarterbacks and Maresca needed to make sense of a messy roster that was bloated thanks to billions of dollars spent in the transfer window.
It’s fair to say that both Slot and Maresca are exceding expectations to start.
Slot’s Liverpool were always going to look different from Klopp, but it still is surprising to see the Reds take their foot off the pedal and put an emphasis on managing situations rather than introducing chaos into the match every chance they get.
But you can’t argue with results and so far, so good for Slot’s Reds. Liverpool fumbled against Nottingham Forest, but aside from that it’s been nearly flawless.
The one caveat is that Liverpool have not had a hard schedule so far.
You can only beat who is in front of you, but the best team they’ve played so far (by this year’s standings) is 10th-place Forest, who beat Liverpool.
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This in-form Chelsea side will be the first significant test for Liverpool’s defense, which has held up its end of the bargain so far, but has struggled in year’s past.
Chelsea at Liverpool looks like a classic betting conundrum. Liverpool are the better side and at home, but they’re being flattered in the betting market thanks to a soft schedule and a hot start.
For me, Chelsea is always going to be interesting when they get into this kind of price range because of their talent and they become doubly enticing because Liverpool will be naturally overrated.
The Bet: Chelsea +420 (FanDuel)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff handicaps the EPL, NHL, golf and anything else that isn’t the NFL and NBA for the NY Post. He’s up 49.73 units betting EPL with a 7.17% ROI.