Manchester City vs Crystal Palace prediction, odds and betting tips

Manchester City will be looking for a third consecutive win when they host Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon.

Manchester City vs Crystal Palace best offer

Manchester City vs Crystal Palace odds

Find the latest match odds for Manchester City vs Crystal Palace. All odds are provided by our best-reviewed football betting sites. Odds are subject to change.

Quick Manchester City vs Crystal Palace betting tips

• Man City to win both halves – 5/4 with bet365
• Man City with a -2.5 Asian handicap – 11/8 with bet365
• Bobb to score any time – 11/5 with bet365

Manchester City vs Crystal Palace predictions

Manchester City have not had everything their own way of late, but it is important to keep their recent dip in form in perspective.

Prior to a 2-1 victory over Luton Town last time out, a run of four Premier League games without a win had seen City fall from first place to fourth, However, each of their opponents in that time – Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa – were tricky.

City only lost one of those matches anyway – and that defeat by Villa is the only one they have suffered in their last 12 in all competitions.

It is clear that Pep Guardiola’s side have not been at their best for much of this season. Their squad is thinner than you would expect given the club’s wealth, and injuries have had an effect. Kevin De Bruyne is a huge loss and the absence of Rodri always makes City a much poorer team. 

Meanwhile their reputation for defensive solidity has been dented in recent weeks: the reigning English and European champions have conceded 14 goals in their last seven encounters. City have not been able to control many of their recent contests in the manner to which we have grown accustomed.

Yet no one should go overboard. City are just four points shy of the summit of the standings. They started slowly last year too, before expertly moving through the gears in the second half of the campaign.

Liverpool and Arsenal are looking strong right now, but with their blend of quality and experience City are the Premier League title favourites for good reason. Write them off at your peril.

Manchester City vs Crystal Palace betting tips

Manchester City should have too much for a Crystal Palace side that is struggling for form right now.

Manchester City to win both halves – 5/4 (bet365)

Crystal Palace have taken just one point from the last 15 on offer. If we look at the past six rounds of Premier League fixtures, only Luton Town and Nottingham Forest have worse records, and no team in the division has collected fewer points.

Roy Hodgson is starting to come under pressure, in part because of results and in part because of an ill-advised comment to the club’s supporters in which he suggested they had been “spoiled” over the last few seasons.

Palace will hope to get through until the summer with Hodgson still in the dugout, but that is dependent on their form improving.

Unfortunately for the former England boss, there is little chance of his side emerging triumphant on Saturday.

Palace are without a host of key players, including Ebere Eze, Sam Johnstone and Cheick Doucoure. Remi Matthews, their third-choice goalkeeper will start between the sticks. The likelihood is that this will be a comfortable 90 minutes for the champions. 

Tip Manchester City to win both halves at 5/4 with bet365

Manchester City -2.5 Asian handicap – 11/8 (bet365)

Manchester City have not kept a clean sheet in any of their last seven fixtures in all competitions, but there is a good chance they will do so here.

Palace’s top scorer, Odsonne Edouard, is another absentee, while Michael Olise is still not 100 percent after a serious hamstring issue.

If City do keep a clean sheet, that means they would need to score three times for this bet to come through. That sounds very doable.

City will probably be without Erling Haaland, who missed the Luton win and was not risked for the 3-2 defeat of Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League on Wednesday.

But there is still plenty of firepower within the ranks and City should get ample opportunities against a Palace side missing their two first-choice central midfielders, their go-to left-back and their No.1 and No.2 goalkeepers.

A win by a three-goal margin should be well within reach for Guardiola’s side, with Palace set for a difficult 90 minutes in Manchester.

Go for Manchester City with a -2.5 Asian handicap at 11/8 with bet365

Oscar Bobb to score any time – 11/5 (bet365)

Oscar Bobb started up front against Red Star Belgrade in Haaland’s absence. He did not disappoint, scoring the second goal and delivering an impressive all-round display.

Bobb is by no means a natural centre-forward. The 20-year-old usually plays out wide, but he adapted well to his new role in midweek.

Guardiola liked what he saw, both from Bobb and fellow youngster Micah Hamilton, who also found the back of the net.

“Oscar is the reality. The goal he has done is unbelievable. It’s a really, really top-class goal,” he said after the game.

With Haaland sidelined and Julian Alvarez out of form, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that Bobb starts through the middle again on Saturday.

Even if he misses out on a place in the XI, the Norwegian should appear off the bench. His confidence will be sky-high and he looks like an attractive goalscoring pick at the odds available. 

Back Oscar Bobb to score any time at 11/5 with bet365

How to watch Manchester City vs Crystal Palace

• Location: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England.
• Date and time: Saturday 16 December 2023, 3pm.
• How to watch: Not being shown live in the UK.

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