Ipswich Town vs Chelsea Prediction: Londoners will enjoy trip to the country

Chelsea will be looking to get back to winning ways when they visit struggling Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Monday night (19:45).

Below is my Ipswich Town vs Chelsea prediction ahead of this Premier League clash.

Chelsea have slipped down to third place in the Premier League after dropping points in their last two games, having first drawn 0-0 at Everton and then been beaten 2-1 by their local rivals Fulham on Boxing Day. 

Enzo Maresca’s team were ahead for the majority of that derby match at Stamford Bridge before the Cottagers staged a comeback with a pair of late goals to snatch all three points.

Ipswich have faced some difficult opponents over the festive period, with Newcastle United thrashing them 4-0 and Arsenal winning 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Friday.

If the 19th-placed Tractor Boys are going to escape relegation they are going to need to claim more points at home, with the promoted side still yet to win at Portman Road since returning to the Premier League.

Team News

Sam Morsy was suspended for the Arsenal defeat and could return for Ipswich, while Massimo Luongo was absent through illness and remains a doubt. 

Chiedozie Ogbene and George Hirst are both injured for the hosts, who switched from their normal 4-2-3-1 formation to a back five for their last outing.

Football Odds

Chelsea will be without their injured defenders Reece James, Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile for the trip to Suffolk.

Romeo Lavia is back in training and could return for the Blues, but Mykhaylo Mudryk remains suspended.

Ipswich Town vs Chelsea Odds

Chelsea are the favourites at 2/5, giving the Blues an implied win probability of 71.4%, with the draw at 4/1 and Ipswich out at 13/2 (13.3%).

The visitors have not ended the year with a defeat since 2011, winning eight times and drawing on four occasions since then.

Match Result & Both Teams to Score - Chelsea & Yes @ 6/4

Chelsea could hardly ask for a more favourable fixture as they look to get their title bid back on track. 

Being the away team is unlikely to be much of a disadvantage against an Ipswich side that have only claimed four points this season at Portman Road.

Kieran McKenna may revert back to a more attacking formation after failing to land a shot on target in the loss to Arsenal.

Ipswich have scored in five of their nine home games this season and could find the net against a Chelsea defence ravaged by injuries, even if another defeat seems inevitable.

Anytime Goalscorer - Cole Palmer (CHE) @ 10/11

Cole Palmer gave Chelsea the lead against Fulham and it seemed likely to be the winning goal until the underdogs mounted an unlikely comeback. 

It was the England international’s 12th strike in the Premier League this season and with an additional six assists, his 18 appearances have been extremely productive.

Palmer is Chelsea’s penalty taker and showed his coolness when he converted twice from the spot in the 4-3 win at Tottenham earlier this month.

With his impressive scoring record and the potential for the Blues to win by a wide margin, the 22-year-old looks good value to add to his tally.

Offers

Place an In-Play single bet of £10 or more at odds of 1/2+ on any Premier League or Championship game on Sunday and get £5 in Free Bets to use In-Play on Monday’s games. (Credited upon Bet Settlement)

Acca Flex: Place a pre-match 5+ leg Football accumulator and get a CASH bonus up to 100% if all of your selections win or your money back as CASH if one leg lets you down.

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