There was a point in time where Manchester United dominated the Manchester Derby. They have generally been looked upon as the big brothers in this crosstown rivalry, but in recent years, Manchester City has come to town and beaten up the beast with three wins in four tries. Old Trafford will again be the setting for a massive showdown, one which could be a crucial factor in deciding who will win the Barclays Premier League title in 2015-16.
ODDS ANALYSIS
Manchester United is the favorite in this game, but it isn't by a convincing margin. This, in fact, might end up being one of just three matches this year in which the Citizens are dogs.
Man U is favored by a +155 margin which, of course, isn't a convincing amount by any stretch of the imagination.
Totals in these big time games are tough to line in the BPL. On one hand, you've got two offenses which have combined to score 39 goals in nine games this year. On the other hand, each team has allowed a total of just eight goals, less than one per game on average.
The number to beat in the Manchester Derby is set at 2.5 with -120 vig on the over.
KEY INJURIES
Manchester City clearly has the bigger issues right now on the injury front. The big knock is to Sergio Aguero, who is out for the rest of the month with a hamstring injury. With Edin Dzeko getting loaned out to AS Roma, that leaves just Wilfried Bony to carry the torch as the front man in Manuel Pellegrini's 4-5-1 formation.
It gets worse for City, though. Both Gael Clichy and David Silva are out as well. This is a deep team for sure, but there are only so many world class players you can lose without really having a major concern.
Manchester United got back Bastian Schweinsteiger last week against Everton on the road, and assuming he is over his thigh problems, he should again become a staple in the lineup for the Red Devils.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"Now with Kun (Aguero) out for one month, I think it's the moment, although I repeat, we can't put all the responsibility to score goals on Bony. Remember last year in the middle of the season we had all the strikers injured and the midfielders scored because we made a lot of movements in attack." – Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini on Bony and his attacking situation with Aguero out injured
RECENT FORM
You wouldn't know that Manchester City has had problems in attack of late. The team knocked off Newcastle 6-1 and followed that up with a 5-1 win over Bournemouth. Those matches were both at home though, and there's a big difference between those games and going on the road to Old Trafford.
United picked up a big road win last week at Everton by a 3-0 count, a nice response after losing 3-0 to Arsenal on the road. The Red Devils now have five wins in their last six matches overall.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Manchester City's power has been on display against lesser teams, but Man U isn't going to have any of it in this one. The power in the midfield which Manchester United has now that Schweinsteiger is back is going to be huge.
Pellegrini has made no bones about the fact that his midfielders are going to have to commit forward to score. Last season, the Red Devils made the forward-thinking Citizens pay, winning 4-2 in this fixture late in the season.
We suspect Manchester United is going to get the job done in this game and make the Premier League season a heck of a lot more interesting by going to the top of the table.
Manchester United 2, Manchester City 1
BookMaker has Barclays Premier League lines for every match of the season. Manchester United is lined as a +155 moneyline favorite, while the total is set at 2.5. You can make a futures bet and predict the champion, wager on head-to-head matchups or use BookMaker’s live betting feature to gamble while the match is happening.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The fixture between Manchester United and Manchester City is scheduled for Saturday, October 25, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. ET at Old Trafford. The match will be televised live on NBC Sports Network.
