Manchester City vs. Brighton & Hove Albion and Pick to Win
Date:Saturday, August 12th 2017
Where: English Premier League Brighton, UK
by Keith, Professional Soccer/Football Handicapper, Predictem
Match Odds: Manchester City 4/11, Brighton 11/1, Draw 43/10
Moneyline: Manchester City -275, Brighton +1100, Draw +430
Over/Under Best Market: UNDER 2.5 5/4 (+120)
The long awaited begin of the 2017/18 campaign is upon us and with that comes a highly-anticipated debut for two of the Premiership sides featured in this contest. For Brighton and Hove Albion, they are eager to play at the highest level of competition after earning a promotion from the English Football Championship at the conclusion of last season. Brighton will curate the hosting duties for this one as Manchester City will open up the campaign on the road on the south coast of England. For Manchester City, a highly-active transfer window has netted the Cityzens some much needed enhancements to their defense. The Blues have spent exorbitant amounts of money to improve what was their Achilles heel in the 2016/17 campaign. Some pundits argue that Manchester City reaching into their pockets may put them in position to win the Premier League title and dethrone Chelsea who stormed back last season.
Overall, Manchester City has smoked many of the opponents they encountered as of late in both domestic and international competition. At the end of the 2016/17 English Premier League, the Blues shelled all who stood in their way, encapsulated by a 5-0 defeat of Watford. The dominance has been a staple of the beginning of the Pep Guardiola era. City has scored at will and their personnel have lit up the scoreboard. However, the surge was too little too late as the Blues had to settle for a top-four finish and another Champions League qualification. It is likely that Man City will have their hands full across town with Manchester United fielding a better squad this year compared to last years installment. Nevertheless, Brighton seems to be a sacrificial lamb and an easy three points for Guardiola and company to start off on the right foot.
However, Manchester City has had their hands full in the past when away from Etihad Stadium. This is an outfit that relies heavily on home pitch advantage and this can be influential in this contest be that this is the first match back. Some players may have some rust to blow off and Brighton has the momentum from last campaign coming with over them in preparation for this affair. Albion has had plenty of time to prepare for this contest while Manchester City was involved in international play in late July against former Premiership side Tottenham Hotspur. All-in-all, Manchester City seems positioned to hit the ground running as they have fairly affable fixtures to start off their campaign. With this being stated, many expect City to get off to their typical incendiary start. The question has remained whether or not they can maintain that level of play.
As we have championed before laying juice is always a dangerous move especially when the expectations of one side are through the ceiling. When you add this in with the fact the game is on the road, this can be especially hazardous. It would even be safe to say that a draw may be out of question here. Given the fact this is the first game of the season, both teams may have to still oil out their offensive end of operations. Thus the scoring maybe capped to a minimum and a draw is conceivable if Brighton and Hove Albion can steal a score and hang around in the contest.
With respect to this narrative, the UNDER at 2.5 goals offers substantial upside at 5/4 or +120. All in all we stand to risk two units with a potential yield of 5.5 units. Brighton and Hove Albion will enter this fixture with heightened enthusiasm looking to prove they belong in the English Premier League. This is their opportunity to do so at home against a heavyweight.
Manchester City Recent Form
W Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 (International Champions Cup)
W Real Madrid 4-1 (International Champions Cup)
L Manchester United 0-2 (International Champions Cup)
W Watford 5-0
W West Bromwich Albion 3-1
Brighton & Hove Albion Recent Form
D Aston Villa 1-1
L Bristol City 0-1
W Norwich City 2-0
W Wigan Athletic 2-1
L Wolverhampton United 0-2
Keith’s Prediction for the Game: DRAW (43/10) +430 and UNDER 2.5 (5/4) +120
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