Chelsea (7 wins, 5 losses, 4 draws) welcomes Manchester City (11-2-3) to Stamford Bridge Thursday. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET. Below, we preview Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Chelsea vs. Manchester City odds, and make our best EPL bets, picks and predictions.
Man City sits 2nd in the league and trails Arsenal by 8 points, having played 1 fewer game. The road side in this match is 4-1-2 away from home this season. They are led in scoring by F Erling Halland, who has 21 goals on the season while 31-year-old M Kevin De Bruyne has 9 assists, tops on the team. Man City is just 1-1-1 in their last 3 league matches.
Chelsea is having a disappointing season, but is 4-1-2 at home this season. Their main weakness is offense as they’ve scored just 20 goals in 16 matches. F Raheem Sterling and F Kai Havertz are tied for the team lead with 4. Chelsea is coming off a disappointing 1-1 draw to Nottingham Forest.
Chelsea and Man City will battle Sunday as well in the 3rd round of the FA Cup.
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Chelsea vs. Manchester City odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:31 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Chelsea +430 (bet $100 to win $430) | Manchester City -155 (bet $155 to win $100) | Draw +310
- Over/Under: 2.5 (O: -125 | U: +105)
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Chelsea vs. Manchester City picks and predictions
Prediction
Manchester City 2, Chelsea 0
Moneyline (ML)
LEAN MANCHESTER CITY (-155).
The value isn’t necessarily there, but this is the best play on the moneyline. City has the talent, and Haaland provides enough offensive support to break through a stiff Chelsea backline.
Chelsea is also down several key players, including D Reece James and M N’Golo Kante, 2 players who have critical roles for the club. Chelsea’s inability to score, going against the team with the 3rd-fewest goals against, is another reason to back City here.
Man City has 24 more goals than Chelsea on the season, and the Blues may not be able to play from behind if they concede 1st. Back MANCHESTER CITY (-155) for a small unit given the value.
Over/Under (O/U)
LEAN UNDER 2.5 (+105).
This is my favorite play given the value, but considering the odds, I still wouldn’t make a full-unit bet here.
Despite losing some 1st-team members, Chelsea will still have D Cesar Azpilicueta and D Thiago Silva, 2 of the most experienced at their position in the world. The last time Chelsea went over this total in any competition was a 2-1 Champions League win on Nov. 2.
They have given up just 18 goals this season, the 4th-fewest in the league. City also has an elite defense, headlined by D Kyle Walker. This is both sides’ 1st league match in which it had faced a top-10 side since the World Cup break, so there could be a sluggish start to it as well.
Ultimately, back the UNDER 2.5 (+105).
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