Chelsea's results over the last few weeks have not matched the massive spending spree it went on in January.
Joao Felix, Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk have had time to adjust to Chelsea's style of play, and Saturday should be the perfect time for the new Chelsea to unleash itself on the English Premier League.
The Blues face last-place Southampton at home, and an emphatic performance could help them surge up the table and finish inside the top six.
A multi-goal win would be massive for Chelsea's confidence going into the next few weeks, and I'm banking on that happening.
Chelsea is just one of a few teams that played midweek in European competition I'm rolling with this weekend. Borussia Dortmund, who beat Chelsea on Tuesday, could win by multiple goals as well and Paris Saint-Germain needs a bounce-back after losing to Bayern Munich.
Weekend Soccer Selections
Overall Record: 74-84
English Premier League
Wolves (-150) vs. Bournemouth (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET)
Wolves have turned a corner in the Premier League.
They won three of their last four league matches, with the lone loss in the run coming to Manchester City.
Bournemouth appear headed for relegation and it has not won in league action since November 12.
The Cherries have been awful on the road since the World Cup break ended. They have not found the back of the net in five road matches across all competitions dating back to December 20.
Chelsea (-1.5; +105) vs. Southampton (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET)
Get ready for the Chelsea breakout game.
Chelsea's new signings have had a few games to acclimate themselves in the squad, and I really like what Joao Felix has brought to the field.
Felix should have scored at least once in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday and I think he breaks out against a Southampton defense that conceded on multiple occasions in its last three games.
Southampton is a lost cause after firing its second manager this season, and I think Chelsea will wear down the Saints defense behind Felix and others.
German Bundesliga
Eintracht Frankfurt (-175) vs. Werder Bremen (Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET)
Eintracht Frankfurt has been fantastic at home lately.
The sixth-placed side in the Bundesliga outscored opponents 14-4 in its last four home games.
The Eintracht attack, led by Randal Kolo Muani, should take advantage of a Werder Bremen defense that conceded the fifth-most goals on the road and has the fourth-worst expected goals against on its travels.
Union Berlin (-185) vs. Schalke (Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET)
Do not be concerned about Union Berlin playing a league match in between two Europa League games.
Union Berlin produced five wins and a loss in Bundesliga matches that followed its Europa League group-stage contests.
It also helps that Union Berlin is playing Schalke, who sits on the bottom of the Bundesliga table. Schalke does not have a road win this season.
Borussia Dortmund (-1.5; -120) vs. Hertha Berlin (Sunday, 11:30 a.m. ET)
You can apply a similar train of thought to Borussia Dortmund-Hertha Berlin as the Union Berlin-Schalke game.
Dortmund is coming off an exhausting UCL matchup with Chelsea, but it has the saving grace of playing a Hertha Berlin side that has four points from nine road games.
Hertha conceded three times in its two Bundesliga road games out of the World Cup break, and four of its six expected goals against totals have come on the road.
La Liga
Mallorca (+225) vs. Villarreal (Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET)
Only Barcelona has a better defensive record at home in La Liga than Mallorca.
Mallorca has four straight 1-0 victories at home and it has not conceded on home soil since October 28.
Villarreal comes into Saturday with four losses in five league games, and a trip to Mallorca is the worst-possible thing to remedy that bad form.
Osasuna vs. Real Madrid (-125) (Saturday, 3 p.m. ET)
I'm buying Real Madrid at this price every time against teams beneath it in the standings.
Los Blancos really can't afford any more slip-ups in La Liga if they want to catch Barcelona in the title race.
Real Madrid should at least keep pace with Barca by earning a road win over Osasuna, who comes into Saturday with a single win in its last six games.
Ligue 1
Paris Saint-Germain (-160) vs. Lille (Sunday, 7 a.m. ET)
It feels weird to say Paris Saint-Germain sits in a must-win spot, but that's what Sunday's home match with Lille feels like.
PSG lost to Monaco and Bayern Munich in the last week and it needs to get right against Lille in order to avoid a title hunt from chasing teams in Ligue 1.
PSG owned Lille in its last two meetings, as it won by a combined 12-2 score.
I think PSG's need for a win outweighs any threat Lille could pose inside the Parc des Princes.
Brest vs. Monaco (-130) (Sunday, 9 a.m. ET)
Monaco is in some of the best form of any team in Europe's big five leagues.
The principality side is on a four-game winning streak across all competitions and it has one loss since the start of November.
Monaco's winning run should continue against a Brest side that ranks in the top six in most goals allowed in Ligue 1 and most concessions at home.