West Ham vs. Manchester City English Premier League Preview and Prediction
Matchday 30 of the English Premier League season kicks off on Saturday morning, but one of the most intriguing games on the slate features Manchester City travelling to London to take on West Ham at 4 p.m. ET.
Pep Guardiola’s side stumbled against Nottingham Forest in a 2-2 draw on March 4, so they now sit seven points behind league leaders Arsenal with one game in hand.
On the flip side, West Ham currently sits in the relegation zone. Although they’re even with 17th-place Nottingham on points (28), their -19 goal differential has kept their fears of going down alive.
There’s plenty on the line for this match, so let’s get into my West Ham vs. Manchester City predictions.
West Ham vs. Manchester City English Premier League Odds and Betting Trends
West Ham are notable +320 underdogs for Saturday’s tilt on the Premier League odds, the draw sits at +300 odds, and Man City are the -135 road favourites. The Over/Under is 3.5, as the Over has +130 odds, and the Under carries a -170 price. Oddsmakers expect both teams to score on Saturday (-180), which isn’t too much of a surprise given the fact that both teams have found the back of the net in four of the previous five meetings between these two teams.
It’s surprising to see Man City at such a short price given the two squads’ position in the table, but the Citizens have slipped up in recent games. After last week’s 2-2 draw against Forest, they were dominated by Real Madrid 3-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday. However, they did pick up a 3-1 victory against Newcastle in the FA Cup and have gone 7-2-1 in their last 10 games. Additionally, they’ve won seven straight against West Ham. The London side does have five points in their previous five games, but they’ve struggled against the EPL’s top sides, picking up just one point against Liverpool, Manchester United, and Chelsea since the turn of the New Year.
West Ham
West Ham manager Nuno Espírito Santo took over for Graham Potter way back in September, and although results didn’t immediately follow, he’s slowly raising his team out of the relegation zone. Most recently, they eliminated Brentford in the FA Cup via penalty kicks, and they have just two defeats in their last 10 matches in all competitions. However, it’s worth noting once again that their two defeats came against Liverpool and Chelsea, and their only victories in 90 minutes have come against Fulham, Burnley, Sunderland, and Tottenham.
The overall key for West Ham in their latest run has been the defence. In their eight positive results over their last 10 games, they’ve allowed just five goals, and in their two defeats, they gave up eight. If they want a chance against Man City, they’ll need to ensure the Under cashes.
Manchester City
Although Pep Guardiola’s side was bombarded by Real Madrid midweek, you have to tip your cap to Federico Valverde. The Uruguayan international scored a first-half hat-trick, and each goal was a moment of brilliance. It’s safe to say that West Ham doesn’t possess a player of Valverde’s quality, and I can’t see the Hammers replicating the result of Madrid or even that of Nottingham Forest at the start of March. Arsenal plays right before this game on Saturday, and if they pick up three points, the pressure will be on Man City to perform.
This feels like a game where the visitors will take care of business. Before Wednesday’s defeat to Madrid, the Citizens had won three straight contests on the road, taking down Newcastle in the FA Cup (3-1), Leeds (1-0), and Liverpool (2-1) in the EPL. None of those away grounds are easy places to win, and I expect City to cruise once again in this one.
English Premier League Prediction: Who Will Win West Ham vs. Manchester City?
This feels like a great bounce-back spot for Man City, and I feel great about betting them on the three-way money line at -135 odds. However, I do expect West Ham to score at least once, as Pep’s squad has allowed a goal in seven of their last 10 games in all competitions. Overall, expect goals, but Man City should do enough to keep their Premier League title hopes alive.
Best Bet: Manchester City ML (-135)
Score Prediction: Manchester City 3 | West Ham 1 (+1000)