Chelsea v Newcastle Tip

Chelsea have been so irresistible in the last few weeks that I just can’t back against them in the win and first/last goalscorer markets. The problem is that the bookies who kept them at short odds even through the bad times have really put the squeeze on now!

Di Matteo’s dazzlers are just 11/20 (BetVictor) to beat a side that sits above them in the table, while Drogba (9/2 Bet365) and Torres (5/1 Bet365) are too short to break the deadlock. How can we be confident about who will score first when team selection ahead of the FA Cup Final will be something of a lottery?

It’s not that the caretaker boss won’t take this crucial league clash seriously, it’s just that he has an embarrassment of in-form players at his disposal. The likes of Sturridge, Lampard, Kalou, Ramires and Malouda are all liable to pop up with a goal given the chance.

And that’s not to mention Newcastle’s ace in the pack. Papiss Cisse still has a record that any of his opposite numbers would cherish. The Senegalese striker has 11 goals in 11 matches in this country and therefore looks like our value option here. For the reasons already stated, I think the first/last goalscorer markets are to be avoided, so let’s take the 5/2 (Skybet) available in the anytime betting.

Cisse had scored a remarkable nine times in six outings before the Magpies had their nightmare at Wigan at the weekend. Having watched the highlights, the one man who still shone for Alan Pardew on Saturday was his prolific number nine. The 26-year-old struck both the bar and post to suggest that his form remains right on the money - it just wasn’t his day.

As good as Chelsea have been lately, they are still vulnerable at the back. They have only kept one clean sheet in their last five in the league and the absence of Cahill and Luiz won’t help the defence.

If the Toon Army are going to have any joy, then it seems highly likely that Papiss Cisse will be at the forefront. Best odds of 5/2 (Skybet) to score anytime look very enticing.