This article is part of our Soccer Picks series.
Manchester City look to make it two wins in a row when they host West Ham at the Etihad on Saturday.
Pep Guardiola's side has been in peril for the past two months. The win against Leicester City was a nice boost, but it was far from convincing. They now sit 14 points behind league-leaders Liverpool and four points behind Chelsea for top four. The Cityzens need to pick up points in a hurry if they want to qualify for the Champions League.
West Ham were throttled in their previous match against Liverpool losing 5-0 at home. Somehow, Julen Lopetegui is still in charge despite being on the hot seat for the past month. West Ham are flirting with dropping into the relegation fight, so they really need a result from this match.
Premier League odds can be found at the DraftKings Sportsbook. If you need to sign up, click through our DraftKings promo code page for a deposit bonus.
EPL Best Bets for Manchester City vs. West Ham
Betting on Anytime Goalscorer
Manchester City's defense has completely fallen off a cliff and isn't coming back soon, though additions in the transfer window could surely help. The loss of Rodri has proven catastrophic, but more importantly, Manchester City's press isn't good enough.
When pressing high and playing a high line, you need your press to either hit home and force high turnovers, or be able to win one-on-one duels when teams try to play long balls. Manchester City are doing neither, which is why they are conceding so many big scoring chances.
Mohammed Kudus is most likely to benefit for West Ham. He's excellent in one-on-ones and could be going up against Kyle Walker, who is completely cooked. The Ghanaian only has three goals on the season, but he's averaging well over three shots per 90.
At +400, I think there's a lot of value on him to find the back of the net.
Premier League anytime goalscorer bets are available at BetMGM. If you haven't signed up, you can use the BetMGM bonus code ROTOBONUS for a risk-free bet.
Betting on Player Shots on Target
One of the aspects of this match is going to Manchester City's ability to break down West Ham's low block.
What typically happens if Manchester City can't find a way through is that they'll more than likely settle for a shot from outside the box. Phil Foden is the main man who takes most of those shots.
He's increased his average of shots from outside the box from 1.3 last season to 1.8 per 90 minutes this season. He's also really good at hitting the target from outside the box with over half of those shots being on target. Last season, he averaged 1.51 shots on target per 90 minutes.
I like the price on him to have over 1.5 shots on target at +125.
Betting on Corners
The most likely scenario in this match is Manchester City living in West Ham's final third, sustaining pressure for a majority of the match.
The Cityzens are averaging 62-percent possession with a 74-percent field tilt, so it's no surprise they're averaging the most corners per 90 minutes in the Premier League. The flip side is West Ham away from home this season are conceding 6.8 corners per 90 minutes, which is the sixth most in the Premier League.
In the previous meeting, Manchester City won the corner battle 11 to 3, and I like the value on their corner spread of -4.
Manchester City vs. West Ham Betting Picks
- Mohammed Kudus Anytime Goalscorer (+400)
- Phil Foden Over 1.5 Shots on Target (+125)
- Manchester City Corner Spread -4 (-110)
Visit RotoWire all season for exclusive sports betting picks and our weekly Kits & Wagers betting show. Remember that betting apps vary in terms of odds, so we have an easy-to-use odds page that allows you to shop for the best lines at DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM and PointsBet. You can also use the WynnBET promo code for $100 in free bets.
