In Round 37 of the Premier League, Chelsea host Tottenham Hotspur at home. Based on the recent rhythm of both teams and their goal data, the total number of goals in this match may not be very high.
The home side Chelsea have scored only 2 goals in their last 6 league matches, with their attack in a slump. Although those six opponents included defensively strong teams such as Manchester City, Liverpool, and Manchester United, Chelsea’s own ability to create chances has clearly declined. At home, they have scored just 3 goals in their last 4 matches, averaging fewer than 1 goal per game, and their attacking efficiency is at a seasonal low. In terms of personnel, several attacking players including Mudryk, Gittens, and Colwill are unavailable, leaving their front-line rotation depth weakened.
The visitors Tottenham, while having decent away scoring numbers (25 goals in 18 matches), are also facing a personnel crisis in attack recently. With Solanke, Kulusevski, Kudus, Simons, and Odobert all absent, their attacking creativity has been heavily reduced. In their last 6 league matches, Tottenham have scored only 6 goals, averaging 1 per game, well below their seasonal average.
In terms of the over/under market, bookmakers initially set the line mostly at 3 goals, but it has uniformly dropped to 2.5/3 goals at the closing stage. The odds for over 3 goals have moved up from the 0.80-0.90 range to a relatively high 0.88-0.98, while the odds for under have correspondingly fallen. Several companies such as Australian, Crow, and 36* have pushed the under price down into the low 0.89-0.92 range. The line drop and the rise in the over price suggest that bookmakers are relatively cautious about the over.
In the head-to-head record, the over rate in the last 10 meetings between the two sides is only 30%. In the last 4 encounters at Stamford Bridge, 3 have gone under, and the tense atmosphere of the London derby often limits both teams' attacking output.
Taking into account both teams' recent attacking efficiency, the significant injury problems, and the movement in the market, the total number of goals in this match is likely to be no more than 3.