wsn-newsletter Subscribe to WSN.

Manchester City vs Leeds United Prediction, Betting Odds, Picks

Written by: Greg Lea
Updated October 14, 2022
5 min read
  • Manchester City are one point clear of Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table
  • Leeds United lost 3-2 to Chelsea in heartbreaking circumstances last time out
  • This could be an open, high-scoring game between two attack-minded teams

Manchester City vs Leeds United Odds

The odds for Manchester City vs Leeds United are provided by BetMGM. Click on the links in the table below to head to the sportsbook, sign-up, and place your bet. Get a $600 risk-free bet at BetMGM. See if sports betting is legal in your state, here.

Match Result and Total Goals Odds
Manchester City and Over 3.5 -105
BET HERE
Manchester City and Under 3.5 +135
BET HERE
Leeds United and Over 3.5 +4000
BET HERE
Leeds United and Under 3.5 +1750
BET HERE

Manchester City vs Leeds United Pick

Marcelo Bielsa is not the type of manager to simply pack men behind the ball against the Premier League champions, and that approach could produce an open and entertaining encounter.

Back Manchester City and a total of over 3.5 goals. (-105)

Manchester City Vs Leeds December 14

Manchester City Will Be Hard to Catch if They Open Up Lead

Manchester City’s lead at the top of the Premier League table is slender. Just one point separates them from second-placed Liverpool, with third-placed Chelsea an additional point behind. City’s advantage could easily be overturned in the upcoming midweek round of fixtures. It is possible that the defending champions could be third in the standings by the time they travel to St James’ Park to face Newcastle United on Sunday.

Yet although there is currently little separating City from their two main rivals at the top of the division, the sportsbooks list Pep Guardiola’s team as the clear favorites to win the title. Draft Kings price City at -175, with Liverpool at +250 and Chelsea at +500. Given how close all three teams are in the table, the gap between their respective odds might seem surprisingly wide. In fact, it makes total sense.

Liverpool stand to lose Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane to the Africa Cup of Nations in January. They do not have the same strength in depth as City, particularly in attacking areas. Chelsea meanwhile are simply not performing as well as Guardiola’s side. The underlying statistics are instructive: Chelsea’s expected goals difference is +13.2, which is considerably inferior to Liverpool’s +26.8 and City’s 26.4. At that rate will find it harder to maintain their current form for the remainder of the season.

Now that City have got their noses in front, they will be hard to catch. It would be premature to rule either Liverpool or Chelsea out of the title race at this stage, but neither challenger can afford to let the gap at the top get much bigger. Guardiola’s side started slowly last season before going on to win the league comfortably. Liverpool and Chelsea have got stronger since then, but City remain the team to beat.

Bielsa’s Leeds Desperate to Avoid Second Season Syndrome

Chelsea could easily be four points behind Manchester City, rather than two. They left it late to see off the challenge of Leeds on Saturday, with Jorginho’s penalty in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time giving the Blues a 3-2 win. It was a heartbreaking way for Marcelo Bielsa’s side to lose having fought so valiantly throughout the match.

Not many pundits gave Leeds a chance of avoiding defeat at Stamford Bridge after it was revealed that Patrick Bamford, Kalvin Phillips and Liam Cooper would all miss out. Yet Bielsa’s team did not feel sorry for themselves, and instead went out in their usual attack-minded manner. It almost earned them a 2-2 draw at the home of the European champions.

Nevertheless, some Leeds supporters might be beginning to worry about second season syndrome. Injuries have certainly not helped so far this season, although their impact is exacerbated by Bielsa’s insistence on having a small squad. Leeds have struggled to put the ball in the back of the net at times, while only four teams have conceded more goals.

The Whites have won just three of their 16 games thus far and sit five points above the relegation zone. Despite finishing ninth last term, Leeds would probably settle for survival this time around.

Leeds Only Know One Way of Playing and That Will Suit City

Leeds drew 1-1 with Manchester City in the opening weeks of last season. It was one of the most entertaining encounters of the whole campaign, as the two teams went toe-to-toe under the driving rain at Elland Road. Leeds were facing one of the strongest sides in world soccer but they still played on the front foot.

Bielsa is a dogmatic coach who never changes his ways, so we will not see Leeds attempt to shut up shop on Tuesday. Guardiola was critical of the defensive tactics employed by Wolverhampton Wanderers in City’s 1-0 win on Saturday, but there is no danger of Bielsa replicating Bruno Lage in that regard.

That is good news for any neutrals hoping for an entertaining match, but it might not bode well for Leeds. It is difficult to shut down City’s attack regardless of how you play against them, but Leeds’ tendency to afford their opponents plenty of space in the final third will leave the likes of Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden and Gabriel Jesus licking their lips.

There is a danger that the floodgates could open if City get the first goal early on, with Leeds likely to continue attacking regardless of the scoreline. After City’s largely uneventful 1-0 victory over Wolves last time out, this could be a high-scoring affair – back a home win and over 3.5 goals.

Play Fantasy Sports Here!

How We Rate
Affiliate Disclaimer
21+
Logo #1

FanDuel

4.5/5

Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets

21+ | Terms and conditions apply

🔥 Claimed by 110 people this week!

Logo #2

Caesars

4.5/5

$1,000 First Bet on Caesars OR $250 in Bonus Bets

21+ | T&Cs Apply. Gambling problem? Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.

How to Watch Manchester City vs Leeds United

Manchester City vs Leeds United Information
Teams Manchester City vs Leeds United
Location Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England
Time Tuesday, 14 December 2021, 15:00 PM EST
How to watch NBC Sports
21+ | Terms and conditions apply
Claim Now
Greg Lea WSN Contributors

Greg Lea

Soccer Betting Analyst

Expertise:
Premier League
Champions League
Bundesliga
La Liga
Betting Picks
Greg Lea is a freelance soccer journalist from London. He is the former editor of The Set Pieces, and has contributed to the Guardian, FourFourTwo, and ESPN. A Crystal Palace fan, he is a long-time subscriber to the belief that it's the taking part that counts.
Email: [email protected]
Nationality: American
Education: Bachelor of Arts in Politics
Favourite Sportsbook: bet365 Sportsbook
Favourite Casino: BetMGM Casino
Experience: 10 years
We've been featured on:
espn logo
reuters logo
cbs-news logo
forbes logo
entrepreneur logo
entrepreneur logo
We only list licensed sportsbooks
WorldSportsNetwork
WorldSportsNetwork
WorldSportsNetwork
WorldSportsNetwork
WorldSportsNetwork
Co2neutral

We support responsible gambling. Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly. If you need help, call 1-800-Gambler.

WSN.com is managed by Gentoo Media. Unless declared otherwise, all of the visible content on this site, such as texts and images, including the brand name and logo, belongs to Innovation Labs Limited (a Gentoo Media company) - Company Registration Number C44130, VAT ID: MT18874732, @GIG Beach Triq id-Dragunara, St. Julians, STJ3148, Malta.

Advertising Disclosure: WSN.com contains links to partner websites. When a visitor to our website clicks on one of these links and makes a purchase at a partner site, World Sports Network is paid a commission.

Copyright © 2024