Manchester City vs. Manchester United Prediction, Odds, and Best Bets for Premier League Week 16

The two struggling giants face off in a crucial matchup to get their season back on track.

Ruben Amorim faces his biggest test yet when Manchester United faces Man City. / IMAGO/News Images

The two Manchester giants and bitter rivals face off on Sunday in different circumstances than they are used to.

Manchester City is eight points behind the league leaders, Liverpool, with one extra game and Manchester United is in 13th place. City has won once in their last six Premier League games and United has four points in four games since Ruben Amorim took over. 

Manchester City under Pep Guardiola has never looked as bad as it looked over the last month. The Spanish manager is pressing all the buttons on the controller, trying everything to get his team back on track but nothing is working. On Wednesday, they suffered yet another desultory loss, this time to Juventus in the Champions League, putting themselves at risk of early elimination from European competitions.  

The Cityzens have had a ton of success over their inter-city rivals lately, winning their last five Premier League matches against them. Last season, Manchester City won both fixtures comfortably, 3-0 on the road, and 3-1 at home. 

Unfortunately for City, however, Erik ten Hag is no longer in charge at Old Trafford. New manager Ruben Amorim hasn’t turned things around entirely, but United has been playing better under the Portuguese tactician. 

To make matters more interesting and personal, in Amorim’s last game before he joined United earlier this year, he pulled off a massive 4-1 upset over Manchester City as Sporting Lisbon’s manager. He will look to repeat that success at Etihad this weekend, but the odds may be stacked against him. 

Manchester City vs. Manchester United Odds and Total

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. 

Moneyline:

Man City: -175
Draw: +360
Man Utd: +410

Total Goals: 

Over 2.5: -250
Under 2.5: +181

Over 3.5: +106
Under 3.5: -130

Both Teams to Score:

Yes: -210
No: +160

Double Chance: 

Man Utd or Draw: +135

Manchester City vs. Manchester United How to Watch

• Date: Sunday, December 15, 2024
• Time: 11:30 a.m. EST
• Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, UK
• How to Watch (TV): NBC, Peacock, Fubo TV

Manchester City vs. Manchester United Prediction and Pick

Even though Man Utd is on the right track, it needs at least a few transfer windows to fix this roster. Erik ten Hag left a skeleton crew behind him, a roster with no shot of serious Premier League contention. Ruben Amorim may be the right manager for this team but he is facing an uphill battle. 

In massive clubs like Manchester United, you don’t have the time. You need to get results immediately to earn some credit within the organization and the fanbase. Amorim has already lost back-to-back games and a third straight defeat, especially against City, will make things difficult for him in the short run. 

Guardiola, on the other hand, arguably has more job security than any manager in soccer. He has enough credit with the organization to last a lifetime. That doesn’t mean he is willing to throw in the towel in the title race this early on. He will see this derby as an excellent opportunity to get back to winning ways. 

Unfortunately, City doesn’t have enough juice to do so. They are soft and vulnerable without Rodri. They are missing three key defenders in Manuel Akanji, John Stones, and Nathan Ake. Phil Foden and Mateo Kovacic are only now getting back to the lineup. The lack of depth is painfully obvious as Guardiola only used two substitutions in each of the last two games. 

Controlling the midfield will be the most important battle on Sunday. City has struggled to win the ball back and control possession in Rodri’s absence. Whichever combination of Manuel Ugarte, Kobbie Mainoo, and Casemiro play for United will be the X-factors of the game. 

Amorim’s unorthodox 3-4-3 formation with Amad Diallo in a new role as a wingback poses challenges for any opposing team. They still haven’t found the optimal role for each player as Amorim is still experimenting. However, United has dangerous weapons on the counter against City’s porous and short-handed defense. 

Bruno Fernandes linking up with Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho to exploit the spaces in the back is a formidable combination. United should be able to create chances and get on the scoreboard. 

United is similarly shaky defensively. Amorim is still trying to find the best three-man combination in the back. They have conceded nine goals in six games with Amorim in charge. It is hard to imagine them keeping a clean sheet against Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne. A shootout may be in order. 

Pick: Over 3.5 Goals (+106)