With their season crumbling to bits at every turn, Manchester City hope to prove they are still a top-four contender as they host Chelsea on Saturday in a massively important match in the race for Champions League places.
The defending Premier League champions have fallen apart at the seams in dramatic fashion this season, sitting fifth in the domestic table while their UCL lives are simultaneously in grave danger. An epic collapse at Paris Saint-Germain midweek has buried Pep Guardiola’s side further in the muck, and defeat here would be even more damaging.
City have thrown away multiple two-goal advantages this season, both in league and European competition, and Wednesday’s collapse in Paris was just the latest in a long line of disappointing results. They have seemingly recovered their domestic form, but that is down to a soft schedule as much as anything with recent wins over Ipswich Town, West Ham, and Leicester City.
BET NOW:Latest odds for Premier League games and best bets for the Man City vs. Chelsea match on BetMGM
Chelsea were briefly in the Premier League title conversation a month ago, and while that is no longer the case thanks to a dip in form, the Blues are still a formidable opponent as Enzo Maresca has done well to recover a club that seemed to be floundering to retain its regard as a top-tier English contender.
MORE: A complete guide to betting on soccer in the United States
Man City vs. Chelsea prediction, odds
- Moneyline lean: Chelsea (+210 on BetMGM)
- Score prediction: Man City 2-3 Chelsea
At this point, Manchester City are impossible to trust. And against a strong attacking side like Chelsea, they shouldn’t be favorites of this magnitude.
Chelsea may have hit a slight bump in the road through December, but the Blues have largely recovered their form and are thumping in goals. With City missing Nathan Ake already due to injury, and Ruben Dias forced off at halftime of their midweek loss to PSG due to illness, the City defence is lacking mightily.
It’s hard to see a way this Man City side keeps a lid on Chelsea’s pacey counter-attack, especially with the midfield and central defensive areas weakened by injury in such a way.
| BetMGM (USA) |
|
| Man City win | +105 |
| Draw | +300 |
| Chelsea win | +210 |
| Both teams to score |
Y: -275 N: +180 |
| Over / Under 3.5 goals |
O: -110 U: -130 |
| Man City -0.5 goals |
+100 |
| Chelsea +0.5 goals |
-135 |
Man City vs. Chelsea match facts
- Date: Saturday, January 25, 2025
- Kickoff Time: 5:30 p.m. local (12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT)
- Location: Etihad Stadium (Manchester, England)
- Referee: John Brooks, VAR: Stuart Attwell
- Last meeting: Chelsea 0-2 Man City (Aug. 18, 2024 | Premier League)
MORE: Latest team news and injury updates ahead of Man City vs. Chelsea
Man City vs. Chelsea best bet
- Pick: Chelsea over 1.5 total goals
- Odds: +100 (BetMGM)
Plus odds for Chelsea to put two goals up on this broken Manchester City side is a gift.
Thanks to the aforementioned injuries at the back, City have yet another weakness to contend with as they look to shore up a midfield left gaping by the loss of Rodri early in the season. Ilkay Gundogan is no longer himself, Rico Lewis isn’t the answer, and Mateo Kovacic has not lived up to the billing either.
The game’s total of minus odds for over 3.5 goals is lacking value, but this pick on the Chelsea attack looks juicy.
Man City vs. Chelsea prop bet
- Pick: Cole Palmer to score or assist a goal
- Odds: -110 on FanDuel
In no uncertain terms, Cole Palmer is an unmitigated superstar. The former Man City youth product is averaging an utterly outlandish 0.92 xG+xA per 90 minutes, worth nearly a full goal of production every single time he takes the field in Premier League play.
Seven goals since the start of January have done the business, but there could be an even greater glut of production if his teammates could finish chances effectively. Incredibly, Palmer has not registered a single assist in league play since December 1, racking up a whopping 3.19 xA without profit.
Nicolas Jackson has gone back to being woeful in front of goal after a hot start to the season, and Noni Madueke has been inconsistent in both influence and ruthlessness. That’s left Palmer to be the single leader up front, and he’s taken on that mantle just as he did last season.
After reminding his former club what they gave up with a goal in his first match against City, Palmer has not scored or assisted in any of his last three. That will change here.