Manchester City vs. Tottenham Odds
| Manchester City Odds | -280 |
| Tottenham Odds | +655 |
| Draw | +425 |
| Over/Under | 3.5 (+130 / -170) |
| Both Teams to Score (Yes/No) | (-125 / +105) |
| Odds via PointsBet. Get the latest soccer odds here. | |
Manchester City and Tottenham look to bounce back from their respective derby defeats when they face off on Thursday afternoon.
The Cityzens' 2-1 defeat in the Manchester Derby moved them seven points behind league leaders Arsenal, and for the first time all season, they are no longer favorites to defend their crown.
Meanwhile, Spurs conceded two goals and failed to convert any of their own in the London derby and now sit five points out of the final Champions League spot.
Will City be able to rebound, or will Spurs successfully hand them their third consecutive loss at the Etihad and snag a massive three points of their own?
Here is our breakdown of the Manchester City vs. Tottenham odds, and my pick for Thursday.
Manchester City Have Their Focus Elsewhere
There is no question about City's talent and their depth, but we are yet to see them consistently play at the high level we have grown used to with them over the past few EPL seasons.
Debates are happening about whether the signing of Erling Haaland is a greater setback than a boost, despite the fact that he's scored 21 of their 46 goals this season. However, I think the reason for the inconsistency is exactly what Pep laid out to the press after their Manchester Derby loss, stating that their focus this season is on the one trophy he has yet to achieve while at City and that he doesn't care about the Premier League and Carabao Cup.
Certainly, that doesn't mean City have thrown in the towel and that they won't try to win every time they step on the pitch, but they will rotate players in and out of the lineups more often than we are used to.
Those rotations are impacting the team on both sides of the ball, but more significantly, their defense. City have given up 18 goals in 18 matches and have failed to keep a clean sheet in five of their last six league outings. For greater context, at this same point last season, they only conceded nine goals.
Tottenham Losing Some of the Conte Magic?
Even though Spurs are struggling to consistently rack up three points, they are certainly entertaining to watch from a neutral perspective game in and game out.
Antonio Conte's side has recorded 37 goals in 19 games played (third-most in EPL) and have allowed 27 goals (eighth-most in EPL). They are tied for first for the most goals for or against combined this season with 64 — they are tied with Manchester City.
It's no surprise that a team led by Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min would be able to score in great volume. However, it is a surprise that with a coach like Conte, who has a reputation for his deft defensive tactics, they are giving up nearly a goal and a half per game.
It seems the Italian boss' influence is waning a bit. After averaging 2.09 points per game in his first 35 games for the London side, Conte and Spurs have accumulated just 1.33 PPG in their last 12 EPL matches.
Maybe that spark will come back against a coach he seems to be the only one to have the answers against. Conte has a three-win, two-loss record against Guardiola, giving the Spaniard his lowest PPG (1.20) against any other manager (minimum of five games).
Manchester City vs. Tottenham Pick
Tottenham have had City's number over the past half-decade, winning four of their last five meetings against the Manchester side.
While I think Pep's men will be able to get the job done against Spurs this go-round, their lack of ability to keep a clean sheet is a real issue. It's an issue that Spurs have as well.
So, rather than taking the juice with Man City on the moneyline, I am going with a game prop and backing both teams to score on Thursday.
Pick: Both Teams to Score – Yes (-125 via PointsBet)
