Real Madrid welcomes Chelsea to the Santiago Bernabeu Wednesday for the 1st leg of a UEFA Champions League quarterfinal. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Real Madrid vs. Chelsea odds, and make our best Champions League bets, picks and predictions.
Real Madrid, the current champion, finished atop Group F with a 4-1-1 record. Real Madrid scored 15 goals and allowed 6. It sits 2nd in La Liga, the top Spanish league. Real took down Liverpool in the Round of 16 by a combined score of 6-2. F Karim Benzema leads Real Madrid with 14 goals in 18 starts in La Liga play.
Chelsea is 11th in the English Premier League, the top league in England. The Blues finished atop Group E with a 4-1-1 record. They had just 10 goals, but allowed a mere 4 through the 6 matches. They’ve struggled offensively this season but did defeat Borussia Dortmund a combined 2-1 in the Round of 16.
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Real Madrid vs. Chelsea odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 11:15 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Real Madrid -145 (bet $145 to win $100) | Chelsea +425 (bet $100 to win $425) | Draw +270
- Over/Under: 2.5 (O: -110 | U: -125)
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Real Madrid vs. Chelsea picks and predictions
Prediction
Real Madrid 2, Chelsea 0
Moneyline (ML)
LEAN REAL MADRID (-145).
Real Madrid has everything it takes to come out on top, and it has proven to have success against high-tier EPL sides, taking down Liverpool in the Round of 16 and last season in the Champions League final. Real Madrid, 9-1-4 (4 draws) at home this season in league play, has won 4 of its last 6 games throughout all competitions.
For Chelsea, it has struggled this season and will continue to struggle until its scoring picks up. The Blues have failed to score in 3 consecutive games and have 8 goals in their last 10 games throughout all competitions.
That won’t do it against a lethal Real side, especially while on the road. Considering those trends, slightly back REAL MADRID (-145) despite the juice.
Over/Under (O/U)
BET UNDER 2.5 (-125).
The Chelsea offense just hasn’t been there all season long. Both games against Dortmund went Under this total — a 1-0 Chelsea loss in the 1st matchup and a 2-0 victory in the return leg. Chelsea has averaged just 0.97 goals per game in EPL, while yielding 1.03.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid had 3 clean sheets in its last 5 games and scored 2 or fewer in 3 of those as well. Real’s defense has been top-notch in La Liga play, allowing just 0.86 goals per game.
While Chelsea hasn’t been scoring at a high pace, its defense should be able to tame Real Madrid.
Ultimately considering both teams’ strengths, BACK UNDER 2.5 (-125).
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