When the 2023-24 English Premier League season begins, Chelsea will be more than happy to have 2022-23 in the rear-view mirror. Things couldn't have gone much worse for the Blues, who went 11-11-16 and ended up  12th in the English Premier League table, their worst finish since 1993-94.    

Chelsea won five Premier League titles, seven FA Cups and four League Cups since finishing 14th that year. They just won their second Champions League title over that span in 2020-21 and have played in that top European competition 16 times in the past 18 seasons. They also have won the Europa League twice.

However, things have been bleak at Stamford Bridge since Russian oligarch owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned and eventually sold the the team in 2022. Todd Boehly, one of the leaders of the new ownership group, took over as chairman and several key personnel men left.

Now, the Blues are looking at losing Kai Havertz and Mason Mount from an attack that scored a record-low 38 goals last season. But the team can look back to 2016-17 for inspiration. They were coming off a 10th-place finish the previous year but won the league title that season.      

Despite the uncertainty, Chelsea remain among the favorites in Caesars Sportsbook's 2023-24 EPL futures, They are fifth out of six teams shorter than 50-1, coming in at +1600. Three-time defending champion Manchester City are the clear -175 favorites, followed by Arsenal (+800), Liverpool (+850) and Manchester United (+1000). Newcastle, who finished fourth last season, are right behind the Blues at +1800. 

The 2023-24 English Premier League season kicks off Aug. 11 with Manchester City visiting newly-promoted Burnley in the Friday opener. United also get a prime game in Matchweek 1, as they host West Ham on Monday, Aug. 14. 

Check out my English Premier League team previews below -- today's featured team is Chelsea. I had a profitable season on EPL picks in 2022-23 and went 21-10 -- bringing a profit of $1,147 for $100 bettors -- on  Champions League predictions.

• EPL Season Previews: Power Rankings | Manchester City | Manchester United | Liverpool |  Arsenal | Newcastle
  

What can we expect from Chelsea in the 2023-24 English Premier League season? Can they return to their place among the league's powerhouses? ... Join SportsLine right now to see EPL futures odds and team previews from the SportsLine expert up more than $1,100 on his Champions League picks!