Manchester City’s defense of its fourth Premier League championship in five years begins Sunday, Aug. 7, at 11:30 a.m. ET with a trip to West Ham’s London Stadium.
City are once again heavy favorites to win the EPL championship, while West Ham look to build on a successful season that saw them contend for a spot in the Champions League early on before they ultimately finished seventh on the table.
These two clubs participated in a battle that jeopardized City’s title run last year as the Irons fought to a 2-2 draw versus MCFC in May, though City rode a three-goal second half on the final day to lock in a drama-filled trophy lift.
City retooled by bringing in elite forwards in former Bundesliga star Erling Haaland and up-and-coming Argentinian Julián Álvarez to replace the departing Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus in the upfront rotation.
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Meanwhile, West Ham will look to upend the champs again to open this season, aiming for at least a Top-6 finish for the second time in three seasons. David Moyes’ boys recently brought on Gianluca Scamacca from Serie A’s Sassuolo via transfer; the Italy international deposited 16 goals in his home country’s top competition last year.
City lost to Tottenham to open last season, so will theHammers repeat that feat? Let’s take a look at the West Ham vs Man City betting picks.
West Ham vs Manchester City Odds
3-Way Match Result: West Ham (+750) | Draw (+400) | Manchester City (-275)
2-Way Handicap: West Ham +1.5 (-130) | Manchester City -1.5 (-110)
Over/Under Goals: Over 2.5 (-175) / Under 2.5 (+125)
Note: West Ham vs Manchester City odds are current as of Friday, July 29, at 9 a.m. ET from BetMGM Sportsbook.
BetMGM is already expecting that while Man City is a decent favorite, West Ham will keep it close, giving the 2-way handicap tight juice.
West Ham vs Manchester City Betting Tips
West Ham tied for third in EPL with 3.11 total match goals per game at home in 2021-2022. Man City, meanwhile, ranked tied for 10th with a 2.74 road goals average.
(Most stats listed come from SoccerStats.) Here’s solid evidence to look for multiple goals in the season opener.
West Ham is winless in their past 12 matches vs City.
Despite forcing that much-heralded tie in the final weeks of this past season, West Ham is 0-10-2 against Man City in their past 12 meetings.
West Ham had the second-most games in which both teams scored last year (24) – with a league-high 15 such results at home.
The latter 79% rate of “both teams score during West Ham home fixtures” should make EPL bettors shy away from betting on a clean sheet by City’s Ederson.
West Ham vs Manchester City Prediction
West Ham 1:2 Manchester City
In that fabled meeting from May, Moyes’ squad jumped out to a 2-0 first-half lead, then failed to stop City from tying it late.
City controlled the pace for that first half but leaked with two crucial quick-twitch mistakes. Don’t bet on that rapid-fire West Ham scoring again as City looks to clean up their possession.
Though West Ham should hang tight, City’s deepened attack should prevail here. They now boast much more physicality up front with Haaland, who should help maintain City’s trademark forward pressure as they wear down defenses.
West Ham vs Manchester City Best Bets
➕ Both Teams To Score in Second Half (+230) at BetMGM Sportsbook
WAGER: 2 Units
West Ham finished in the top half of the league with 20 goals in the second half at home last season, per SoccerStats.
With the new transfers on both sides acclimating out of the gate, expect the first-half scoring to be relatively quiet and, in turn, open up after the halftime whistle.
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➕Exact Score: West Ham 1:2 Manchester City (+725) at BetMGM Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
Don’t empty your bankroll for this longshot, but given the Man City moneyline’s negative juice it’s time to stretch for the exact score prediction to complement the likelier bet pick of both teams scoring post-halftime.