To help commence a thrilling EPL Saturday, Manchester City (6 wins, 2 losses, 2 draws) will travel to take on Manchester United (5-3-2). Held at Old Trafford, the game will kick off at 8:30 p.m. ET. Below, we preview the Manchester United vs. Manchester City odds and lines, and make our best EPL bets, picks and predictions.
Manchester United has been on a wild ride lately.
They lost 5-0 to Liverpool two weeks ago. Last Saturday they throttled Tottenham 3-0; then they drew Atalanta in the Champions League. The talent is there, but the consistency just hasn’t been.
Currently in fifth place in the EPL, Man U has scored 19 goals in 10 games, having allowed 15. They’re led by F Cristiano Ronaldo and will be without superstar M Paul Pogba, who is serving a suspension.
Man City, their bitter rival, has oddly been on a similar ride. Two weeks ago Saturday they defeated Brighton 4-1.
Last week they lost to Crystal Palace 2-0 and then in the midweek UCL match they defeated Club Brugge 5-1. Led by M Jack Grealish and M Kevin de Bruyne, Man City has the best midfield in the world.
They’re third on the table, five points behind Chelsea and two behind Liverpool. City has scored 20 and given up 6, the second-fewest goals against in the NFL.
Manchester United vs. Manchester City: Odds, picks and predictions
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 6:30 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Manchester United +350 (bet $100 to win $350) | Manchester City -140 (bet $140 to win $100) | Draw +320
- Over/Under: 2.5 (O: -165 | U: +130)
PLAY: Our new free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!
Prediction
Manchester City 2, Manchester United 0
Money line (ML)
“LEAN” to MANCHESTER CITY -140 as Man U hasn’t shown quality against top-tier opponents.
In the past few weeks, they’ve been demolished by Leicester City and Liverpool. While they took down Tottenham with ease, they also only had four shots on target.
Without Pogba, I think the United midfield will struggle to keep pace with City. Also, while United has had success, they didn’t score in their long matchup with a top-three EPL Defense.
Man City is just too talented.
Now, one bet I don’t hate, almost purely on Man City’s defense and historical trends, is ONE TEAM NOT TO SCORE, in Tipico as BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE then a NO (+120).
In four of the last five matches between these two teams, a side hasn’t scored. At plus money, it’s something to consider.
Over/Under (O/U)
“LEAN” to the UNDER 2.5 (+130) as the Man U defense should step up. After being destroyed by Liverpool, they regrouped and shut out a talented Tottenham side.
The total will largely depend on Man U’s defense as Man City is averaging 2 goals per game, and the United defense is always 1.5 per game. City should limited United as they’ve allowed 6 on the season.
Again, four of the last five have gone Under 2.5, and with the value placed on it, I think it’s worth a shot. Both offenses are surging, and City’s lack of a true 9 may come to life in a rivalry match.
Almost all numbers can be thrown out the door in a rivalry. These teams are going to get after it, and with top-tier teams in the EPL, usually, that means limited goals.
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow @nathanbeighle_ on Twitter. Follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA).
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=42968]