For the mass majority of the BPL season, pundits were just waiting for Southampton (18-6-13, 60 Points) to fall on its face. The team never really did, but it fell just far enough to leave the European scene. A win against Manchester City (23-7-7, 76 Points) on Sunday though, would leave the door open to the Europa League.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The bottom line for Southampton is that it needs a result in this match. A draw parlayed with a Tottenham loss at Everton would get the job done for the Saints to get into the Europa League, while a win parlayed with either a loss or a draw for either Tottenham or Liverpool would accomplish the same goal.
Still, a loss is easily the most expected result in this fixture. The Saints are +1 on the Asian handicap and +525 to win this duel SU. Manchester City is -190 on the moneyline. The total is understandably high at 3 (over -135), the highest total of the week in the BPL.
KEY INJURIES
Manchester City will celebrate its second place finish in the EPL this season with almost a full squad on Sunday. Samir Nasri should be the only man left out of the regular Starting XI unless Manuel Pellegrini, very likely in his swan song with the club, wants to give others a look.
It really wasn't until the injury bug bit Southampton that it started to fall off this season. Alas, not having Fraser Forster, Emmanuel Mayuka, Jay Rodriguez, Morgan Schneiderlin and Dusan Tadic for the run-in has been brutally tough.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"He is a scorer. If you go down or to the midfield, you are a long way from the goal of the opponent, and you have to use your qualities. Today, he demonstrated what we expect from Sadio. He's a great player, a great run player in front." – Southampton manager Ronald Koeman on Sadio Mane, who logged the fastest hat trick in EPL history last week by scoring three goals in three minutes against Aston Villa
RECENT FORM
Southampton won 6-1 against Villa last weekend thanks to Mane's efforts, and that gave it its first win since April 11 against Hull City. Prior to that, the Saints had dropped all but one point in four fixtures.
Man City has been on a rampage down the stretch of the season, winning five straight games after losing to Crystal Palace and Manchester United. The last time the team didn't get the maximum three points at home in the Premier League was against Hull City on February 7.
TALKING TOTALS
Overs have been the rage at St. Mary's of late. Southampton has played four overs in its last five games overall.
If you want to talk about overs though, look at what Man City has done of late. Its last two matches have featured 10 of its goals and 12 in totality. Four of the team's last six have seen at least five go in the back of the nets.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Yes, the end of the Premier League season tends to produce more goals, and yes, both of these teams have been scoring at will, but we just look at 3 (over -135) and just think that that's way too much to ask for on this day.
At some point, both of these clubs will settle in and realize what they have accomplished this season and be proud of themselves. If Southampton can get a point, that might end up being good enough, and though 60 minutes might be back and forth, we can't see the last half hour being that way. Go with the under 3, even though we think there's a good chance that we just end up being refunded our money.
Manchester United 1, Southampton 1
BookMaker has live Barclays Premier League odds for every clash of the season. BookMaker is also going to have multiple betting options available for this nationally-televised match. Manchester City opened as a -190 favorite. The first offering of the total came in at 3 (over -135). Live wagering during the match offers an adjusted moneyline, total and spread. Log in and start gambling during the soccer match now!
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone or tablet with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The fixture between Manchester City and Southampton will take place on Sunday, May 24, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. at Ethiad Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on MSNBC.
