If you’re a fan of AFC Bournemouth, you have to be happy with how the season has gone through the first third. The Cherries are currently in eighth place with a 6-2-5 record, and they have a chance to qualify for a European competition for the first time in their history. Recently, the club has fallen into a bit of a slump though as the hammer of the Premier League schedule has hit them head on. Bournemouth will continue to face the cream of the crop this week when they travel to the Etihad to take on league leaders Manchester City.
Don't miss the English Premier League action from Etihad Stadium in Manchester at 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, December 1, 2018. Catch every moment of the match live on NBCSN.
English Premier League Betting at BookMaker.eu
AFC Bournemouth +1922
Manchester City -982
Draw +854
Over/Under 4
Odds Analysis
What more can be said about Manchester City that others haven’t said already? The Citizens are odds-on favorites to repeat as Premier League champions per the EPL futures odds, and they are crushing the league. They have yet to lose a match this year, and only Liverpool are within a game of City if they did stumble. Manchester City have a goal differential of +35 through 13 games, and they just qualified for the knockout rounds of the Champions League too this Tuesday. Perhaps other clubs should look to Lyon as an example of how to stop this juggernaut, as the French side defeated City in the Etihad and drew with them at home.
The Cherries have been one of the best feel good stories in English soccer over the last few seasons. Bournemouth play in a small stadium and don’t have the pedigree of most Premier League teams, but they have remained competitive. They failed to get a win in November, yet they were competitive in 2-1 losses at home to Manchester United and Arsenal and also fell 2-1 to Newcastle United on the road.
Key Injuries
It’s a good thing that City have so much depth because they have been hit hard with injuries. Claudio Bravo and Eliaquim Mangala have both been out since the beginning of the season, and Kevin de Bruyne continues to be plagued by knee problems. Benjamin Mendy was the latest to go down, and all four will miss this match. Additionally, Bernard Silva, Gabriel Jesus, and Ilkay Gundogan are all listed as questionable.
Bournemouth have two injuries of note. Adam Smith will miss the next three months after a major knee injury sent him to the sidelines recently, and Jefferson Lerma will be suspended for this tilt after accumulating his fifth yellow card in the loss to Arsenal last week.
Matchup to Watch
The Cherries aren’t one of these lesser teams that pack the bus and hope for a 0-0 draw. Bournemouth haven’t been afraid to take chances against the bigger clubs, and Callum Wilson has led the charge. Wilson has six goals and five assists this season, and he will look to disrupt and create against Manchester City, just like he has against every other team in England.
Prop Bet of the Game – Bournemouth to score -113
I get that Manchester City have looked unstoppable, and they have given up just five goals all year, but Bournemouth are one of the better offensive teams in the league. Their 22 goals are the sixth most of any club in England, and they have scored in all but three matches this year.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
Manchester City are very likely to win this one, but it’s hard to bet on the Citizens at 1/20 odds to win. Instead, I’m going to go a bit off script and take Bournemouth on the goal line. It’s a lot to ask to win by more than two goals, and the Cherries are good enough to keep this within the number.
English Premier League Odds: Manchester City 3, AFC Bournemouth 1
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