Manchester City have their first real test of the season this weekend. City blasted West Ham in London in their opener, but now they face one of the other top teams in the Premier League. Tottenham Hotspur were able to send Manchester City crashing out of the Champions League last season, and City will certainly have that in the back of their minds on Saturday. The Citizens are heavy favorites per the soccer betting odds to get the win over Spurs.
Don't miss the English Premier League action from Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England at 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 17, 2019. Catch every moment of the match live on NBC and Telemundo.
EPL Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Manchester City -277
Tottenham Hotspur +680
Draw +432
Over/Under 3 and 3.5
Odds Analysis
These two teams played four times last season, and all four matches were decided by one goal. In both Premier League tilts, Manchester City won 1-0 with goals inside of six minutes in each match. The Champions League games saw Spurs turn the tables by beating City 1-0 at home, and they won on aggregate after a Son Heung-min brace led to a 4-3 loss in the Etihad in the second leg.
Spurs had some trouble getting the upper hand on Aston Villa in their opener. The Villans scored inside of nine minutes, and from there they just parked the bus and tried to play for a result. That led to a lot of chances for Spurs as they took 31 shots, but they were unable to break through until summer signing Tanguy Ndombele netted in the 73rd minute. A draw looked likely after that, but Harry Kane netted a brace in the final few minutes of regulation to give Tottenham a 3-1 win.
City had no trouble dispatching of West Ham. While the game was only 1-0 at half, it quickly became a laugher as the Citizens poured it on after halftime. Raheem Sterling netted a hat trick to put himself at the forefront of the Golden Boot race, as Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero also scored in a 5-0 win.
Key Injuries
Son will miss the match after picking up a red card in the penultimate game of last season, and three other Spurs players will miss the match due to injury. Dele Alli, Juan Marcos Foyth, and Ryan Sessegnon are all scratched for this game. Ben Davies is listed as questionable as he deals with a groin injury.
Leroy Sane tore his ACL two weeks ago in Manchester City’s Community Shield match against Liverpool, and he is expected to be out until early March. Benjamin Mendy will miss another few weeks with a knee injury, while Fernandinho and Joao Cancelo are both questionable.
Player to Watch
Tanguy Ndombele made a fantastic debut for Spurs. Ndombele was the biggest signing in club history this offseason, and he scored a beautiful goal to level the score against Villa. Manager Mauricio Pochettino stated afterwards that Ndombele is playing at less than half his potential, and he will be even better once he adjusts to the Premier League. If he’s right, Spurs could challenge Liverpool and City this season.
Prop Bet – Under 1.5 +245
Three of the last four matches between these two clubs ended with just one goal being scored, and that gives this prop some real value. Pochettino is likely to be more defensive than usual against City, and there will be a lot of probing going on in the match. It’s worth the play on the alternate total.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
I think the under is the best bet, as it’s hard to go with City given how much they are favored. While this team is a cut above, that’s a ton of juice to lay on the three-way line.
English Premier League Odds: Manchester City 1, Tottenham Hotspur 0
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