Soccer
There will be a sense of desperation for both sides when Napoli host Chelsea in a UEFA Champions League matchup on Wednesday at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples. Napoli, the reigning Serie A champions, face a must-win scenario to finish in the top 24 and advance to the knockout phase playoffs. Meanwhile, Chelsea can’t afford to slip up if they are to automatically qualify for the Round of 16. The Italians are 2-2-3 in the league phase and are in 25th place, while the Blues are 4-1-2 and hold the eighth spot in the table on goal differential. The top eight in the Champions League standings advance to the Round of 16, and five other teams are even with Chelsea on points. The Italians played to a 1-1 draw on Jan. 20 with Copenhagen, who played more than a half with 10 men. The Blues got past Cypriot First Division side Pafos 1-0 last week.
Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET on Wednesday, and soccer fans can take in all the action on Paramount+. Chelsea are +105 road favorites on the money line (wager $100 to win $105) while Napoli are +250 (wager $100 to win $250) in the latest Napoli vs. Chelsea odds at DraftKings Sportsbook. A draw is priced at +255 and the Over/Under for total match goals is 2.5 (Over -115, Under -110). Before you make any wagers on Chelsea vs. Napoli, you have to see what SportsLine soccer expert Martin Green is betting for this Champions League match.
After working in the sports betting industry for several years, Green became a professional sports writer and handicapper and has covered the game worldwide. Last year, Green was profitable in multiple areas on his soccer betting picks, including Euro qualifying (+6.30 units), EFL Cup (+4.47), FA Cup (+3.07) and Champions League (+3.05), among others. Anyone who follows him could be way up.
Here are Green’s best bets and analysis for Napoli vs. Chelsea on Wednesday, Jan. 28.
Soccer Napoli vs. Chelsea best bets
- Chelsea Draw No Bet -135 (1 unit)
- Both Teams to Score and Over 2.5 goals +115 (0.5 units)
Napoli will battle for Champions League survival when they host Chelsea at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Wednesday.
The Italian champions slipped down to 25th in the Champions League table after drawing 1-1 with Copenhagen in their last game. Only the top 24 teams will qualify for the knockout stage of the competition, so Napoli are on the brink of elimination.
They need to beat Chelsea to keep their qualification hopes alive, but that looks like a daunting task. The Blues have won five of six games under new manager Liam Rosenior and look superior to Napoli in most departments.
Conte’s Champions League struggles continue
Antonio Conte became the first manager to win Serie A with three different clubs when he led Napoli to the title last season. He had previously won the Scudetto with Juventus and Inter Milan, so last season’s triumph cemented his status as one of the greatest Italian coaches of all time.
However, his record in the Champions League is dismal. He has only reached the knockout stage of the competition three times, and he’s never taken a team past the quarterfinals.
Conte has managed 49 Champions League games, with 17 wins, 16 draws, and 16 defeats. He has led strong teams into the competition — Inter, Juventus, Napoli, Chelsea and Tottenham — but they have always underwhelmed.
The trend has continued this season as Napoli have picked up just two wins, two draws, and three defeats from seven Champions League matches. They’ve scored seven goals and conceded 12 times.
Their Serie A title defense is also floundering. Napoli slumped to a damaging 3-0 defeat against Juventus on the weekend, which left them fourth in the table.
The Neapolitans are now nine points behind Inter, and their chances of winning the Scudetto look slim. Their defense is pretty solid, with just 20 goals conceded in 22 league games, but they aren’t scoring enough goals. A long-term injury to playmaker Kevin De Bruyne hasn’t helped, while striker Rasmus Højlund is now on a worrying seven-game goal drought.
A must-win game for Chelsea
Chelsea moved up to eighth in the Champions League table after an edgy 1-0 victory over Cypriot minnows Pafos last week. It was far from a vintage performance, but the Blues ultimately got the job done.
The top eight teams will qualify automatically for the Round of 16, while the teams that finish ninth through 24th will go into two-leg playoffs. Chelsea will be keen to clinch a top-eight finish but will need to win this game.
Seven teams – PSG, Newcastle, Chelsea, Barcelona, Sporting, Man City, Atlético Madrid and Atalanta – are all level on 13 points. Chelsea have the third-best goal difference out of those teams, so they’re eighth in the table, but they could fall out of the top eight if a team like Barcelona or Man City earns a heavy victory.
The onus will be on Chelsea to win this game by a comfortable margin – and that looks like an achievable goal. Chelsea eased to a 3-1 win against Crystal Palace on Sunday and are full of confidence right now.
They have a large squad, so Rosenior can shuffle his pack for this game, meaning the players should be pretty fresh.
There seems to be a gulf in quality between the Premier League and Serie A right now. Scott McTominay was a pretty average midfielder at Man United but was named Serie A Player of the Year last season at Napoli. That gulf in quality could be evident in this game.
It won’t be easy for Chelsea, as they have a young squad and are playing away from home in a hostile venue, but their superior quality could ultimately give them an edge.
Read MoreJames Holliman