Wednesday night's live Capital One Cup semi-final match is an all-Premiership affair as Chelsea host Swansea in the first leg of their last-four tie. Both sides will be keen to earn a positive result to take with them into the second leg at the Liberty Stadium and it is Chelsea who are odds on favourites for a valuable win at Stamford Bridge this week.
Rafa Benitez's team are currently 2/5 odds on to win Wednesday's match with Ladbrokes, while Swansea are out at 7/1 and the draw is 7/2. Chelsea have beaten Wolves 6-0, Manchester United 5-4 and Leeds 5-1 in reaching this stage of the competition, although they might not have things all their own way against a Swansea side that have overcome Barnsley, Crawley, Liverpool and Middlesbrough so far.
Swansea are likely to prove far more resolute defensively but Chelsea boast enough firepower to cause any side problems. The addition of Demba Ba from Newcastle has provided Benitez with a welcome selection dilemma and the Senegalese striker is 3/1 to be first goalscorer after marking his Blues debut with two goals in the 5-1 FA Cup win at Southampton on Saturday.
Ba has now scored 15 goals (including 13 for Newcastle) this season and the pressure is on Fernando Torres to earn his place in the side. Torres is 7/2 to score first but Benitez is likely to pick only one striker and it could be worth waiting to see the teamsheet before placing your bets.
A touch more value could lie with Juan Mata and the Spanish playmaker is a best price 11/2 to score first. Mata, who has scored 13 goals this season, has notched two goals and set up four others in four League Cup appearances so far and he remains the creative linchpin of this Chelsea side.
The problem for Chelsea remains defensively as they have kept just two clean sheets in their last 11 outings. The last five Chelsea v Swansea fixtures have seen both teams score and Ladbrokes offer 9/4 for Chelsea to win and both teams to score on Wednesday night. That looks a decent punt, particularly when you consider the attacking talent on display.
Swansea boast the in-form Michu amongst their ranks and he is 8/1 to score first after grabbing 15 goals this term. Danny Graham has also been in fine form, with three goals in his last three, including two successive late equalisers, and he is 10/1 to score last.
However, early goals have been a feature of Swansea's League Cup games this season as they have scored in the opening 10 minutes of each of their four matches in the competition. The time of Wednesday's first goal to be scored between 0-10 minutes on Wednesday can be backed at 27/10 in the latest betting with Ladbrokes.
The Swans arrive at Stamford Bridge on the back of a five-match unbeaten run following their 2-2 FA Cup draw with Arsenal on Sunday. It was a hard fought game and the Welsh side might find it difficult to recover properly come Wednesday night. Chelsea are likely to be fresher thanks to their extra day's rest and the relatively easy nature of their win over Southampton on Saturday and they could be worth a look to win Wednesday's first leg 2-1, which is a 7/1 punt.
Chelsea v Swansea Form
Check the season's statistics for both Chelsea and Swansea, plus the odds ahead of Wednesday's match.
Chelsea v Swansea Tips
Tip #1: Chelsea win and both teams to score @ 9/4 with Ladbrokes.
Tip #2: First goal to be scored between 0-10 minutes @ 27/10 with Ladbrokes.
Tip #3: Danny Graham to score last @ 10/1 with Ladbrokes.
Match Betting
2/5 Chelsea
7/2 Draw
7/1 Swansea
Correct Score Odds
6/1 Chelsea 1-0
11/2 Chelsea 2-0
7/1 Chelsea 2-1
12/1 Draw 0-0
8/1 Draw 1-1
18/1 Draw 2-2
18/1 Swansea 1-0
33/1 Swansea 2-0
20/1 Swansea 2-1
First Goalscorer Odds
3/1 Demba Ba
7/2 Fernando Torres
11/2 Juan Mata
7/1 Frank Lampard
8/1 Lucas Piazon
8/1 Eden Hazard
8/1 Michu
9/1 Oscar
10/1 Danny Graham
12/1 Itay Shechter
12/1 Leroy Lita
12/1 Luke Moore
Odds supplied by Ladbrokes.com, who provide live betting in-running for both of the Capital One Cup semi-finals.
Posted: Tuesday, 8th January 2013
Author: Chris James
Tags: carling cup, chelsea, swansea, demba ba, ladbrokes,
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