CHELSEA VS APOEL NICOSIA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE BETTING

After pulling off a surprise 0-0 draw with highly-rated Atletico Madrid, the Cypriot side APOEL Nicosia take on Chelsea tonight and we're expecting a real barn-burner and a stellar opportunity to make a few quid. 888sport have listed Chelsea at 1/3 for the outright victory and Nicosia are at 10/1 odds. I actually think the draw is interesting at 7/2, but having fell to Wigan at the weekend, I expect Chelsea to be emboldened and to push for a solid victory. The thing is, Nicosia is a bit of a mysterious side and can really tighten up and become difficult to play against. I expect Marcin Zealakow and Nenad Mirosavljevic to be the main threats to the Chelsea backline and you can take them to score anytime at 10/3 and 7/2, respectively. I think they would do well to get on the scoresheet against the Blues but again, a 0-0 draw isn't out of the question. Chelsea have Didier Drogba, Michael Ballack, John Obi Mikel, Ashley Cole and Jose Bosingwa out thanks to either suspension or injury. Deco and Joe Cole have travelled and I expect Cole to use this as an opportunity to get his form back, piece by piece. Chelsea only managed a solitary goal against FC Porto and I wonder how the hostile reaction by the home fans will affect them. Examining the correct score betting has Chelsea either 1-0 or 2-0 as the favoured results- both listed at an 11/2 price. A 3-0 victory garners 8/1 odds while a 1-0 margin to Nicosia pays out at 22/1. I think the match is certainly Chelsea's to win, but missing a few key players may give APOEL Nicosia the confidence they need. Should they be able to notch an early strike, it could be a very interesting match. My tip is a 2-0 victory to Chelsea with goals from Lampard and Anelka.