Visionhaus/Getty Images. Pictured: Christian Pulisic.
Chelsea vs. Sheffield United Odds
| Chelsea Odds | -435 |
| Sheffield United Odds | +1150 |
| Draw | +525 |
| Over/Under | 2.5 (-162 / +130) |
| Day | Time | Sunday | 9:30 a.m. ET |
| How To Watch | ESPN+ |
| Odds as of Saturday afternoon and via DraftKings. | |
The first of two FA Cup quarterfinals on Sunday looks like quite a mismatch. Chelsea are up to fourth in the Premier League, into the quarterfinals of the Champions League and still yet to be beaten under manager Thomas Tuchel.
Sheffield United, meanwhile, are all but certain to be relegated from the Premier League and are preparing for a return to the Championship under caretaker manager Paul Heckingbottom.
Here’s a closer look at the two clubs, followed by a prediction.
Chelsea
Yes, Chelsea have now gone 13 games unbeaten (nine wins, four draws) in all competitions under Tuchel. Even more impressive is they’ve conceded only two goals in those 13 games. One of the two was an own goal. Takumi Minamino, take a bow: You’re the only opposing player who’s been able to crack Chelsea under Tuchel thus far. And that was one month ago, in a 1-1 draw with Southampton.
Chelsea’s most recent result was a 2-0 victory over Atletico Madrid that clinched a spot in the Champions League quarterfinals. It was the Blues’ sixth straight clean sheet.
The down side, if there is one, is that Chelsea don’t look nearly as dominant going forward under Tuchel. They haven’t scored more than two goals in any of those 13 matches and have only reached that total five times. Chelsea also have played three scoreless draws in that stretch — against Wolves, Manchester United and last Saturday against Leeds United.
The results have still been good enough to boost them into the top four. Chelsea currently have 51 points and are three points ahead of West Ham entering Sunday, although the Hammers have a game in hand, which they’ll make up against Arsenal later in the day.
Chelsea’s chances of finishing in the top four are currently 66%, according to FiveThirtyEight.
Sheffield United
It’s been a disaster of a season for Sheffield United, and it’s not getting any better. Their first match under Heckingbottom, after parting ways with Chris Wilder, was embarrassing to say the least, losing 5-0 at Leicester City last Sunday.
Leicester were missing both James Maddison and Harvey Barnes, but it certainly didn’t matter. Sheffield United were outshot 19-1 — that’s right, 19-1! Jamie Vardy didn’t even score, and Sheffield still gave up a five spot.
A look at the table makes for dim viewing, too. A year after finishing ninth, Sheffield United are dead last with 14 points from 29 matches. The Blades are 14 points behind 17th-place Newcastle.
Sheffield United have scored just one goal in their past six matches. It was the only goal in a rather fortunate 1-0 win over Aston Villa, who were without Jack Grealish and still outshot the Blades 16-9.
The other five results in that six-match span were defeats, with a total of 13 goals conceded. Yuck.
Betting Analysis & Pick
Chelsea played at Sheffield United on Feb. 7, in Tuchel’s fourth match in charge. They won 2-1, with Antonio Rudiger’s own goal accounting for Sheffield United’s tally, while one of Chelsea’s goals was a Jorginho penalty kick. With the shot totals even at eight apiece, it wasn’t an impressive performance by either side.
But that was several weeks ago. Chelsea have continued to build momentum while Sheffield United continue sputtering toward the end of the season. Having watched Leicester City steamroll the Blades last weekend, it’s hard to imagine Chelsea winning by only one goal, let alone any other result.
Pick: Chelsea -1.5 (-148)
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