Club World Cup: Chelsea vs LAFC - Betting Tips, Odds & Prediction

Chelsea and Los Angeles FC will feature in the opening act of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, with their Group D clash taking place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Tuesday morning. 

Chelsea have gone through some tough years after a change in ownership. Billions in investment are yet to bear fruit, but the club is slowly returning to the rank of the elites after winning the Conference League and finishing top four in the Premier League. LAFC, on the other hand, arrive with pedigree of their own as 2022 MLS Cup winners and two-time runners-up in the CONCACAF Champions League.

Read on for our breakdown of the match, including a look at the latest Chelsea vs Los Angeles FC odds and our expert football betting tips.

Chelsea 

With their first trophy under Enzo Maresca already in the bag, Chelsea head into this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup looking to add more silverware to their collection. The Blues lifted the title once before, back in 2021 under the tournament’s old format, and will be fancied by many punters across the top betting sites in NZ to go deep again.

Chelsea booked their spot at the 2025 Club World Cup through their memorable 2020–21 Champions League win. It’s their third appearance at the tournament—they were runners-up in 2012 and champions nine years later.

A strong domestic season saw them secure a top-four Premier League finish and Champions League return, and with a relatively kind group, they’ll be quietly confident of going far.

Team News: Liam Delap, Mamadou Sarr, and Dário Essugo have been included in Chelsea’s 28-man Club World Cup squad, while Raheem Sterling, Joao Felix, and Axel Disasi miss out. 

Predicted Lineup: Sanchez; James, Adarabioyo, Colwill, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Neto, Palmer, Madueke; Delap.

Los Angeles FC

LAFC inherited their Club World Cup spot from Club Leon after the Mexican club was ruled ineligible because they shared the same ownership with fellow Mexican giants Pachuca. With Pachuca keeping their place thanks to a 2024 CONCACAF Champions League win and a runners-up finish at the Intercontinental Cup, LAFC got a chance to fill the vacant slot.

LAFC were required to contest a play-in fixture against Club America on 31 May. Trailing with just minutes to go, the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League runners-up pulled off a late equaliser and went on to win 2–1 in extra time.

Ex-Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud is part of the LAFC squad, though he’s recently been used mainly as a substitute. He’s scored just once in 16 appearances against his former club.

Team News: LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo is likely to pick Denis Bouanga, who has eight goals in 15 MLS appearances this year, to lead the line instead of Giroud. 

Predicted Lineup: Lloris; Palencia, Long, Segura, Hollingshead; Jesus, Tillman, Delgado; Martinez, Ordaz, Bouanga.

• LAFC have drawn four of their last six matches ahead of their Club World Cup opener.
• Chelsea have won four of their last six matches across all competitions.
• Both teams have scored in only one of Chelsea’s last five matches, but both teams have scored in four of the last five LAFC games.
• LAFC scored 13 goals in their last five matches, while Chelsea scored seven goals in their last five. 

What bets should you be putting in on football betting sites for this game? LAFC have been defensively vulnerable. They have been conceding early goals and chasing games, and against a Premier League side, their defensive woes might worsen. But Chelsea have not been the best attacking unit in the English top-flight as well. 

17th placed Tottenham Hotspur outscored Chelsea in the Premier League this season. Throughout the season we have seen the Blues struggle in front of goal. Liam Delap’s arrival from Ipswich should help change that, but he might need some to get used to the new team. 

Cole Palmer, however, remains a significant goal-threat who scored 15 times in the Premier League last season. 

We expect both teams to score and Chelsea picking up a narrow win. 

Chelsea 2-1 LAFC @ $8.50

For a risque bet on this match, we recommend considering the 2-1 scoreline for Chelsea, priced at $8.50 by Bet365. While Chelsea have tightened up their defence in recent matches, it’s far from flawless. So, expect the net to bulge on both ends, but Chelsea’s experience on the big stage should get them over the line.