Chelsea vs. Liverpool Predictions, Odds, Props: Reds Open Premier League Season as Favorites

The Premier League is back in action this weekend after a summer window full of big spending by the clubs hoping to prevent Manchester City from winning the league for the fourth year in a row. The marquee fixture of Matchday 1 pits two of the biggest clubs in the league, Chelsea and Liverpool, after both endured disappointing seasons in ’22-23.

In Gaming Today’s breakdown of Chelsea vs. Liverpool odds, props, and predictions, let’s break down what to expect between two teams coming off a heated battle for midfielder Moises Caicedo (assuming the dust has settled on that before kickoff Sunday).

Liverpool are considered one of the top contenders to dethrone City after an impressive summer.

Chelsea, on the other hand, carried out an overhaul in which they added talented forwards Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson while clearing house. Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic, and Christian Pulisic, to name a few, were among the players who left Stamford Bridge this summer.

Also read: Premier League Golden Boot odds | Premier League team futures odds | Inter Miami vs. Charlotte FC Leagues Cup odds and Lionel Messi props

Betting Odds for Sunday’s Chelsea vs. Liverpool Match

Here are Chelsea vs. Liverpool betting lines available on top sports betting apps. The odds here reflect the three-way moneyline, where a bet on either team to win is a loss if the game is tied after 90 minutes. As of Friday morning, FanDuel offers the draw at +270.

Chelsea Roster, Injuries, and Betting News

No team changed more between last season and the upcoming one than Mauricio Pochettino’s squad. The Argentine is best known for building up Southampton and Tottenham (including taking Spurs to the Champions League final in ’19). Todd Boehly hired him in May to help Chelsea recover from a disastrous first year under Boehly’s ownership group.

Chelsea invested heavily last summer and in January, but Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, and Frank Lampard all failed to figure out the team’s best XI, as the Blues limped to a 12th-place finish — a staggering 27 points out of fourth place, and 18 behind sixth-place Brighton.

With all the roster turnover this summer, it might take a while for Pochettino to settle on his preferred line-up. If he’s able to do so, Chelsea could be dangerous. At the moment, they look like the highest-variance team in the Premier League.

Injuries

Chelsea have signed a slew of promising but unproven players over the last 18 months. But the deal for Nkunku, a proven commodity at 25 years old after his impressive stint with RB Leipzig, looked like a low-risk signing, even after he missed time in ’22-23. Unfortunately, he’s already suffered a major knee injury before the season has kicked off. He will be out until December.

Chelsea also lost defender Wesley Fofana to a long-term knee injury earlier this summer. Additionally, the club is without 22-year-old center back Benoit Badiashile, who is expected to return in late August.

Liverpool Roster, Injuries, and Betting News

Liverpool failed to finish top-4 last year for the first time since the ’15-16 season.

Jurgen Klopp’s team had an impressive summer, though, and that was before news broke Thursday night that they were acquiring star Ecuadorian midfielder Moises Caicedo from Brighton. Stay tuned, though, as it remained unclear on Friday morning whether Caicedo was officially headed to Chelsea or Liverpool.

Still, with Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister signing with Liverpool over the summer, this team got better. Whether they improved enough to compete with City, Arsenal, and (possibly) Manchester United for a title remains unclear, though.

Losing Jordan Henderson and Fabinho late in the summer to Saudi Arabia put this club in dire need of a defensive midfielder. Goals weren’t hard to come by a year ago, when Liverpool had the third-most in the league with 75. But injuries, and age catching up to several key players, made Liverpool uncharacteristically mediocre defensively, as they allowed 47 goals in 38 matches.

If Caicedo ends up suiting up for this club, it has a legit chance to challenge for the title. If that deal doesn’t come to fruition, though, it’s hard to see Liverpool playing good enough defense to push for first place.

Injuries

Liverpool appear healthy to enter the season.

Chelsea vs. Liverpool Props

Below is a sampling of betting props for Chelsea vs. Liverpool:

Anytime Goalscorer (FanDuel)

• Mohamed Salah: +165
• Darwin Núñez: +190
• Nicolas Jackson: +200
• Diogo Jota: +260
• Raheem Sterling: +270

Correct Score (FanDuel)

• Chelsea 1-0: +1200
• Chelsea 2-0: +1600
• Chelsea 2-1: +1000
• Liverpool 1-0: +1000
• Liverpool 2-0: +1400
• Liverpool 2-1: +850
• 0-0: +1300
• 1-1: +600

Total Goal Props (FanDuel)

• Over 0.5 goals -2500, Under 0.5 goals: +1400
• Over 1.5 goals -550, Under 1.5 goals: +370
• Over 2.5 goals -162, Under 2.5 goals: +120
• Over 3.5 goals +166, Under 3.5 goals: -205

Chelsea vs. Liverpool Prediction: Chelsea 1, Liverpool 2

Both these teams have plenty of questions to answer over the first few weeks of the season, including which one will land Caicedo. That means that for Sunday, it’s hard to know what to expect, to say the least.

Liverpool do have the luxury of an attack that should be reliable from kickoff, as Mohamed Salah and whoever accompanies him up top — likely Darwin Núñez and Cody Gakpo, with Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota available as two other dangerous options — should be able to create scoring opportunities.

That should allow Liverpool to pull out what promises to be an entertaining clash, but betting on both teams to score might be the only safe play here.

Here are a few bets available at DraftKings that are worth checking out:

• Over 3.5 Goals (+145)
• Liverpool Moneyline (+135)

Chelsea vs. Liverpool Broadcast Info: Where to Watch

• Date/Time: Sunday, August 13, 11:30 a.m. ET
• Location: Stamford Bridge

This match is available on Peacock Premium.