Manchester City vs Manchester United EPL Matchday 16 Odds & Pick
- On Saturday, December 7th, Manchester City host town rivals Manchester United at 12:30 pm EST
- In the 179th edition of the Manchester Derby, Per Guardiola’s side look to get three points closer to league leaders, Liverpool
- Currently, the defending back-to-back Premier League champions are the favorites in the fixture with a moneyline of -323
Why always me? The Rooney bicycle kick. The Manchester Derby produces some of the most exciting moments in all of soccer. Saturday marks the 179th time these two historic clubs meet each other in all competitions. While Manchester United is not favored to beat Manchester City, it is a massive derby, meaning that odds and opinions go out the window; it’s irrelevant.
Manchester City vs Manchester United Odds
| Teams | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester City | -1 ½ (-115) | -323 | Over 3, 3 ½ (+105) |
| Manchester United | +1 ½ (-105) | +900 | Under 3, 3 ½ (-125) |
| Draw | N/A | +390 | N/A |
Odds taken on Dec. 6
This game has a little extra bit of excitement as pressure builds on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to lead United back into the top of the Premier League hierarchy. A significant loss in the derby could force Ed Woodward and the board to show the former club legend the door at Old Trafford. With that being said, the Red Devils still have enough talent to give the Citizens a challenge at the Etihad Stadium.
Manchester United to Build on Tottenham Victory
Recently, neither team has been on tremendous form. Manchester United have won three out of their last six with two draws against Sheffield and Aston Villa and a loss at the hands of FC Astana in the UEFA Europa League. One of those three wins was a 2-1 victory against a Tottenham side led by former gaffer, Jose Mourinho, which will surely build Marcus Rashford and the rest of the squad’s confidence.
Official: Anthony Taylor will referee the Manchester derby on Saturday #mulive
— utdreport (@utdreport) December 2, 2019
On the contrary, Manchester City have been abysmal, considering the high standards they have set for themselves. Not counting a lopsided win against Burnley, the team led by Raheem Sterling have only managed to win one game out of their last five. Their competition has in fact been quite inferior; playing the likes of Shakhtar Donetsk, Atalanta, and Newcastle.
Manchester City vs Manchester United Statistics
| 3rd (32 Points) | Standing in Premier League | 6th (21 Points) |
| 2.9 | Goals per game | 1.5 |
| 20.9 | Shots per game | 14.2 |
| 61.1% | Average Possession % | 53.2% |
This game could easily define Ole’s time at United, and how he sets up the team will have a huge impact on the outcome of the match. If he sets up with a young team featuring Marcus Rashford, Daniel James, Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams then expect them to really have a chance. However, if they start the likes of Lingard and Matic, they might as well give the three points to City.
Best Bet
The best bet for this match is to bet the spread on Manchester City at -1.5 (-115). The past two Manchester derbies have ended in a two-goal defeat for United, making this bet very logical, while still valuable at -115. Taking United as an underdog is too big of a risk; even given City’s struggles, they are an absolutely world-class collection of players.
Just betting on the Citizens to win outright is not worth it, and the Over/Under for this match is too risky as goal scoring outputs have been sporadic for both teams.
My Pick: Spread on Manchester City -1.5 (-115)
Josh Ricker is a freelance sports journalist, currently attending the University of Southern Maine (Bachelor of Science in Sports Management and Marketing). He has recently interned with the AA Portland Sea Dogs, and his work has been featured on Fansided, as well as now here on SBD.
