Liverpool vs Man City Betting Odds – Man City continues home dominance against Liverpool

It’s a tight online betting race for the fourth spot in the Premiership, which automatically qualifies a team for the Champions League. Manchester City will do their best to hold onto the final spot when they host Liverpool on Sunday, and Man City has been on fire at home this season. Look for them to take advantage of a tired Liverpool squad that played a European game on Thursday

The Storyline: Liverpool vs Man City Betting Odds
Liverpool sits just one point behind Man City in fifth place, and the Reds will be trying to hand Man City their first loss at home in the Premiership. Liverpool begins their stint in the Europa League (formerly the UEFA Cup) on Thursday against Unirea Urziceni of Romania, and their last league game ended in a 1-0 loss at Arsenal last Wednesday. Man City are coming off back-to-back 1-1 draws against Stoke City in the FA Cup and the Premiership, and they could be without midfielder Patrick Vieria, who was charged by the FA after kicking a Stoke player between the legs.

Offensive Matchups: Liverpool vs Man City Betting Odds
Dirk Kuyt has stepped up in the absence of Fernando Torres through injury, as he’s scored four goals in his last five matches overall. During this time, Steven Gerrard has been scoreless and the captain hasn’t been his usual inspirational self for Liverpool this season. Yossi Benayoun is still hurt, which means that Kuyt has been Liverpool’s main attacking option lately. That can’t be encouraging to Liverpool fans.
Emmanuel Adebayor seems to be the only striker with a place nailed down for Man City, while the injured Craig Bellamy looks to be the odd man out after going scoreless in his last 10 matches. The Tevez/Adebayor combination appears to be the way to go, as Adebayor’s skill and Tevez’s power are a tough combination for any back line, but Mancini needs to make a decision for Man City’s stretch run.

Betting Edge: Man City

Defensive Matchups: Liverpool vs Man City Betting Odds
The Reds’ defense has been surprisingly stout this year, allowing just a single goal in their last five matches. The duo of keeper Pepe Reina and defender Jamie Carragher have the Liverpool defense on lock, and Carragher especially has improved after a shaky opening portion of the season. However, Carragher has an abdominal problem that threatens to keep him out of Thursday’s match, so watch the injury report before heading to your sportsbook.
Man City’s defense showed an inability to deal with direct play against Stoke, as the equalizer in their first match came off a Rory Delap long throw. For a team that spent so much on the likes of Jolean Lescott, Kolo Toure and Shay Given, Man City’s defense isn’t what it should be.

Betting Edge: Liverpool

Notable Injuries: Liverpool vs Man City Betting Odds
Carragher (abdomen) and Benayoun (ribs) are questionable, while Torres (knee) and Johnson (knee) are definitely out.
Bellamy (knee) and Vincent Kompany (groin) are working hard to get fit for this match, and Kompany may be needed in midfield if Vieria’s suspension holds up.

Betting Edge: Man City

Totals: Liverpool vs Man City Betting Odds
Eight of the last 10 meetings between these two have gone under the posted total, but two of the last three have gone over, including a 2-2 draw at Anfield in November. 30 of Man City’s 48 Premiership goals have come at the City of Manchester Stadium, while only 12 of Liverpool’s 43 league goals have come away from home.

Pick: Over 2.5

Betting Prediction: Liverpool vs Man City Betting Odds
Man City are the home favorites despite losing five and drawing four of their last 10 against Liverpool, their last win coming over the Reds in April 2005. There’s a lot at stake in this match, and if it’s anything like the last match, we’re in for a treat as three goals were scored in an eight-minute span during the final 20 minutes of the game. Liverpool needs Gerrard to play a more active role in this game as the captain has been quiet lately, and Man City’s defense is inconsistent enough to give up a goal. But Man City has enough weapons to score two, and they’ll be aided by a Liverpool team that played on Thursday, while Man City has been off since Tuesday, and at this part of the season, every day helps.

Todd’s Pick: Man City

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