Chelsea vs Luton Town Premier League Betting Preview

We’re now heading into matchday three of the 2023-24 Premier League campaign, with all the action starting on Friday as Chelsea plays host to newcomers Luton Town at the iconic Stamford Bridge. The kick-off is scheduled for 3 PM ET. The Blues are winless thus far, settling for a 1-1 draw with Liverpool before succumbing to a 3-1 defeat to West Ham over the weekend. As for Luton, they’ve played just once, losing 4-1 to Brighton. Keep reading for the game preview and team info.

H2H History

There’s actually a rich history between these two sides dating way back to 1927. Overall, they’ve met 45 times, with Chelsea winning 19 while Luton has 14 victories. The other 12 clashes ended level. Their most recent encounter was in the FA Cup last season, with the Blues barely running out 3-2 winners. The matchday three opponents also locked horns in the same competition a year prior, with Chelsea securing a 3-1 victory.

Blues Need a Win

As massive overhaul at the Bridge this summer left many fans and pundits wondering what to expect from Chelsea this season. And while there is some very intriguing young talent at this club, there’s been minimal success so far. Mauricio Pochettino’s men gave Liverpool a serious run for their money in the season opener, snatching a point at Anfield in a 1-1 draw. Lots of positive takeaways came from that fixture, but it was a different story Sunday.

The Blues rolled into London Stadium and looked poor in a loss to West Ham, despite controlling a whopping 76% of the ball. As we’ve seen in many years past, Chelsea cannot finish and that is the unfortunate storyline through two weeks. A plethora of chances against the Hammers were wasted due to their lack of ruthlessness in the final third.

Defeat this afternoon.#WhuChe pic.twitter.com/ZLAhLWNI09

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 20, 2023

It doesn’t help that Enzo Fernandez missed a penalty, either. Carney Chukwuemeka scored their lone goal but limped off with a knee injury. That adds to their laundry list of health issues at the moment, with Reece James and Christopher Nkunku most notably sidelined as well. Nevertheless, the Blues are much more experienced than Luton, hence the -500 odds at 888sport.

Luton Looking to Make a Statement

Yes, Chelsea didn’t play their full-strength starting XIs in the last two meetings against Luton, but the Hatters should feel confident about finding some type of result Friday, even if it’s just a single point. Luton also comes in very fresh with nearly two weeks since they last stepped on the pitch, with their Burnley affair getting postponed due to renovations at Kenilworth Road, which is still being upgraded to meet Premier League requirements.

Luton, who is up in the top flight for the first time ever, was humbled on matchday one by a very strong Brighton outfit. Opportunities were few and far between for Rob Edwards’ side, who had a mere 29% of the possession and only three attempts on target. The Hatters went into the half down 1-0 then proceeded to concede a penalty in the 71st minute, putting them in a 2-0 hole. While Carlton Morris cut the lead in half with a goal from the spot, the Seagulls proceeded to hit the back of the net two more times.

New week, new challenges. ✊

🚌 Chelsea (A) - Fri 25th Aug#CHELUT | #COYH pic.twitter.com/GOrxGjVjF8

— Luton Town FC (@LutonTown) August 21, 2023

Morris is going to be an X-factor for Luton in their pursuit of staying up in the Premier League. The Englishman was fantastic last season in the Championship, bagging 20 goals and supplying six assists. Luton might be a massive +1200 underdog Friday at most soccer betting sites, but there is definitely a chance for them to get something out of this match.