Manchester City has a ton of work to do just to secure a spot in the Champions League for next season.
Winning matches like this one at home against Stoke City is a bit of a prerequisite as we see it, as a loss would take destiny out of the hands of the Citizens with just three left to play after this weekend.
Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
Manchester City -335
Stoke City +935
Draw +470
Over/Under 3 (under -124)
ODDS ANALYSIS
Manuel Pellegrini's team is definitely expected to win this match handily. The Citizens are favored by a goal and a half on the Asian Handicap, translating to a -335 price on the moneyline.
As a result of the high spread, the total almost has to be higher than usual. This isn't quite the highest total of the BPL weekend, but an over/under of 3 and -124 vig on the under is a very high figure.
KEY INJURIES
Stoke City has a heck of a lot of injury problems right now. Jack Butland got injured on international duty with England a few weeks ago, and he's out for the rest of the season. Glen Johnson, Jonathan Walters and Marc Wilson are all finished for the rest of the EPL campaign as well. Xherdan Shaqiri will likely sit this one out thanks to a hamstring injury he picked up last week against Tottenham.
Manchester City has a few question marks in this fixture with Samir Nasri, Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna all up in the air with minor knocks. David Silva will be out for at least one more week with an ankle injury.
LIVE BETTING
The Potters have been in awful form of late. They were lifeless last week at home against Tottenham in a 4-1 loss, and the week prior, they were beaten 4-1 on the road against Liverpool. Let's not forget that these matches came against really good teams, but if that's any indication of how this one's going to go, Stoke City's fans can get ready for another dud.
Five games in a row for the Potters have gone past the total, and the last three have featured at least four total goals.
Manchester City has bigger problems to worry about right now than the Premier League. The Citizens have Real Madrid to deal with next week in the Champions League, and that means a lot more than this one. You could almost tell that the Sky Blues were lifeless last week in a 1-1 draw against Newcastle. Prior to that though, the Citizens had locked up three straight wins, including a 1-0 triumph over PSG in the UCL.
QUICK PICK
Manchester City might've had a bad game against Newcastle, but we think it'll want to get back in top form in this one. The Potters have far too many injuries right now to be effective, especially without Shaqiri in the fold as well.
Sergio Aguero has 22 goals this season, and he has really terrorized a number of iffy teams like this one. If he's able to run around in some open space in this game with Raheem Sterling, we have no doubt that this duel is going to end in a relatively one-sided final score, the third straight game in which the Potters have been beaten up.
EPL Odds: Manchester City 3, Stoke City 0
Need to fund your account before the big game but don’t have your computer? No problem! BookMaker Sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone. Don’t miss out on getting paid because you couldn’t bet. Click here and deposit at BookMaker now! The fixture between Manchester City and Stoke City is scheduled for Saturday, April 23, 2016 at 7:45 a.m. ET at Ethiad Stadium. The match will be televised live on NBC Sports Network.
