It took almost three months, but Manchester City are back at the top of the table. After a bad December that saw the Citizens fall behind Liverpool, they are now one point ahead of the Reds following last weekend’s results. Now, City are once again favored to win the league and win their second straight title, and they will be out to just hold serve. They are massive favorites coming into this week’s Premier League Game of the Week against Watford.
Don't miss the English Premier League action from the Etihad Stadium in Manchester at 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 9, 2019. Catch every moment of the match live on NBC.
EPL Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Manchester City -704
Watford +1520
Draw +693
Over/Under 3.5
Odds Analysis
Kudos to Watford for being a mid-table team that isn’t afraid to open it up. All too often, we see mid-table teams that simply turtle against better competition or play very reserved on the road, but the Hornets have continued to acquit themselves well by playing enjoyable football. They are currently in eighth place in the table, and they have done considerable damage to teams outside the Big Six. Their last loss to a team outside the Big Six came against Leicester City three months ago.
The talk of winning a quadruple is no longer high-minded fantasy for Manchester City. They already took down the first of four potential titles after beating Chelsea in penalties in the Carabao Cup Final, and they are favored to win both the Premier League and the FA Cup. We haven’t seen the offensive explosions we are accustomed to from this team since a 6-0 thrashing of Chelsea four weeks ago though. City have scored just once in 1-0 wins over West Ham and Bournemouth in their last two domestic matches.
Watford gave City a challenge when these teams met earlier in the season. The Hornets fell behind 2-0 early in the second half, but they continued to contest and counter effectively until Abdoulaye Doucoure scored in the 85th minute before Watford lost 2-1.
Key Injuries
Kiko Femenia is the only player on the injury report for Watford. He is listed as probable to play through an illness, so manager Javi Garcia is likely to have a full squad to select from against City.
As for City, they are going to be without a number of players, and that could hurt them here considering their full plate with other competitions. Aymeric Laporte and Fernandinho are each going to be on the sidelines for the next month, and John Stones and Kevin De Bruyne are out with no timetable for a return. Claudio Bravo is a long-term absence, and Fabian Delph is questionable to play here.
Matchup to Watch
The Hornets have the strongest attack of any team outside the Big Six. While there isn’t one player that is a superstar, Doucoure, Troy Deeney, and Gerard Deulofeu have been pretty sharp this season, and the trio has combined for 20 goals. However, City have been stronger in defense in recent weeks, and they seem to have redoubled their efforts there.
Prop Bet – Will Both Teams Score? Yes -101
There’s little doubt that City will find a way to score. This team has too much offensive talent to be shut out by any club outside the Big Six, so this bet is essentially whether or not Watford will score. I think they have too many options to be shut out and will take advantage.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
I think this is going to be a thriller. Watford won’t be afraid to come out of their shell, and City will be happy to oblige them with an up and down game. The over is a solid play, and I see Watford covering too.
English Premier League Odds: Manchester City 3, Watford 2
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