All eyes for Aston Villa (8-8-17, 32 Points) are fixated on the FA Cup Final which it qualified for last week. However, there is still the matter of sticking around in the Premier League for another year, a goal which could be settled once and perhaps for all with an upset on Saturday against Manchester City (19-7-7, 64 Points).
ODDS ANALYSIS
The oddsmakers aren't giving Villa much hope here. Manchester City is a ridiculously large -400 favorite on the moneyline, translating into a -1.5 favorite and -138 vig on the Asian Handicap. We suppose that the spread is justified considering the gap between these teams, but this is a huge number nonetheless.
The total is not shockingly high at 3 (over -125), the highest of the Premier League weekend.
KEY INJURIES
Manchester City has a lot of really big names nursing injuries at the moment. David Silva has a fractured cheekbone that he might play through. Samir Nasri is still dealing with a leg problem which he picked up last week against West Ham. Vincent Kompany is likely done for the year, as could be James Milner and Stevan Jovetic. Gael Clichy might end up being a long-term absentee to boot.
Wilfried Bony though, could be back for the Sky Blues on Saturday. He is back at training after recovering from an ankle injury.
Nathan Baker suffered what looked to be a nasty injury in the FA Cup semis last weekend against Liverpool. He's up in the air for Aston Villa, as are Gabriel Agbonlahor and Alan Hutton.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"We went through really tough moments, but now we are back to winning. It was really important to get a victory, and now we want to keep form and make sure we try to win the next five matches." – Manchester City midfielder Fernando on what he hopes to see out of his team in the run-in of the BPL campaign
RECENT FORM
Upsetting Liverpool on a neutral pitch and Tottenham at White Hart Lane in a span of eight days is no small feat for a team like Villa. The Villains still have a ways to go to ensure safety, but ever since Tim Sherwood took over as their manager, they have had the form of a comfortable mid-table team.
Maybe Fernando is right. The Citizens did rebound from their embarrassment in the Manchester derby by beating West Ham last weekend. Still, this is a club which has lost five straight road matches dating all the way back to February 11.
TALKING TOTALS
Three of Aston Villa's last four matches have gone past the total, including the semifinal last week in Wembley. For a team which went months at the end of the calendar year and the start of the new year, Villa has netted seven goals in its last four fixtures.
A 2-0 win over the Hammers turned off the sieve that was the Man City defense. The Citizens had allowed six goals in their last two games, and they had played three straight past the total before that under against West Ham.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
We wouldn't be caught dead betting on City in this fixture. That -400 price is just far too high, and asking anyone at the moment to beat Villa by more than a goal is a tall task.
With so many problems going on with Yaya Toure and his contract situation as well as whether Manuel Pellegrini is or is not being canned at the end of the season, we see the Citizens are relatively toxic. There could be a huge opportunity for a plucky Aston Villa team to score another massive upset on the road. Either way, the under is a fantastic play as well.
Aston Villa 1, Manchester City 0
BookMaker has live Barclays Premier League odds for every clash of the season. You can find a moneyline price on Manchester City of -400 and a total of 3 (over -125) right now! BookMaker is also going to have multiple betting options available for this nationally-televised match. Live wagering during commercials offers an adjusted moneyline, total and spread. Log in and start gambling during the soccer game now!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here, so start betting with BookMaker today! The fixture between Manchester City and Aston Villa will take place at 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 25, 2015 at Ethiad Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on NBC.
