The Premier League is back, and one of the most intriguing matchups for the opening weekend features Man City traveling to Wolverhampton.
Pep Guardiola’s team will be looking to kickstart the new campaign after a disappointing third place finish last season. This is still the same club that won four consecutive titles before last season’s slump, but a club with a lot of new faces. The likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker left the team this summer, signaling a slight rebuild.
Can they start the season with three points at Molineux? The Citizens are -205 moneyline favorites, with a draw available at +370. Fancy a Wolves upset? They are +550 on the moneyline. Below is my favorite bet on DraftKings Sportsbook for Saturday’s game.
Wolves vs. Man City Prediction, Pick
Man City score a lot of goals and Wolves concede a lot of goals. This feels like the perfect storm for City to get the victory in a high-scoring affair. This bet can be found under the “Game Parlays” tab.
Manchester City didn’t do a lot of things right last season, but they scored goals. Their 72 goals scored were the second most in the division, only trailing the eventual champions Liverpool. Now, when you add in the additions of Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders in the transfer window, as well as a healthy Erling Haaland, you get a formidable attack. For Wolves, they were on the other end of the spectrum last season. Their 69 goals conceded was the fourth highest tally among teams in the league, and all three of the teams that conceded more were relegated.
In the last five games between these two opponents, Man City have won four and lost one. There have also been three or more goals scored in four of those games. Everything here adds up to goals galore, but with Man City having too much quality for Wolves in the end. Despite a down season for the Citizens a year ago, they still finished 29 points and 13 positions higher than their opponents on Saturday.
It’s hard to tell what effect, if any, the Club World Cup will have on them going into the new season, but an early elimination in the Round of 16 should have given this team plenty of rest before the start of the season. I expect City to start the campaign off with a statement performance and remind the rest of the league that they are still a force to be reckoned with at the top of the table.
