MANCHESTER UNITED VS CHELSEA 2010 COMMUNITY SHIELD BETTING PREVIEW
We've had a bit of an overnight shuffle in regards to the odds for this weekends' widely-anticipated Community Shield. Popular UK bookmaker William Hill still considers Chelsea to be the outright favourites to win the match, but they are now trading at a 6/4 price while Manchester United are available at a 15/8 listing.
The draw can be backed at 11/5 and the fixture is set to kick off at 15:00 UK Time.
OPTA Sportsdata points out that Didier Drogba has a great strike-rate when playing at Wembley, having scored six goals in his last seven appearances at the national stadium with the incredibly dodgy pitch.
As it currently stands, the favoured correct score outcome indicates a 1-1 draw, which is priced out at 11/2. A 1-0 result to Chelsea or United is listed at 7/1 while a 2-1 result to either team can be backed at 9/1.
The Community Shield usually isn't a particularly high-scoring affair with most players more concerned with avoiding injury or a red card. The rivalry between these two sides is pretty fierce though so I do think it could boil over after a few rash challenges.
In regards to the outright winner, Chelsea are odds-on at 4/5 while United a listed at even-money to win the match at any point. The previous odds are just for the 90 minutes market.
Didier Drogba is the favoured goalscorer with a 6/5 price while Manchester United's Wayne Rooney can be backed at 5/4. Javier Hernandez, aka Chicharito, can be backed at 15/8 and I think he's a great shout to score if you see his name on the team sheet.
Nicolas Anelka and Frank Lampard can also be backed at 15/8 prices. Dimitar Berbatov is sitting at 9/4.
I'll be backing United for this one, I think their pre-season has shown a lot more verve than Chelsea's and I am confident that they'll deploy the right blend of youth and experience. I'm not sure if Wayne Rooney will be at 100% so I think this one could be won or lost by United' supporting cast.