Manchester City vs. Liverpool prediction, start time: Best bets for Sunday’s EPL match from proven expert

Two of the best English Premier teams in recent history face off on Sunday, Nov. 9, when Manchester City hosts Liverpool. These two sides have won each of the last eight EPL titles and are meeting for the first time this season. Man City sits second in the table and are winners of three in a row across all competitions, and Liverpool is right behind them in third place, just one point behind. The Reds have won two in a row, which includes a 1-0 win over Real Madrid in Champions League play.

Kickoff from Etihad Stadium in Manchester is set for 11:30 a.m. ET. The hosts are -110 favorites on the money line in the latest DraftKings Sportsbook odds, while the visitors are +265 underdogs. A draw is priced at +295. The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, has Manchester City winning in 39% of simulations. Before you lock in any bets for this massive EPL matchup, you need to see what SportsLine soccer expert Martin Green has to say and what his best bets are.

After working in the sports betting industry for several years, Green became a professional sports writer and handicapper and has covered the game worldwide. Last year, Green was profitable in multiple areas on his soccer betting picks, including Euro qualifying (+6.30 units), EFL Cup (+4.47), FA Cup (+3.07) and Champions League (+3.05), among others. Anyone who follows him could be way up.    

Here are Green’s best bets and analysis for Manchester City vs. Liverpool on Sunday.

Manchester City vs. Liverpool picks

• Both teams to score and Under 4.5 goals (-105): 0.5u
• Erling Haaland to score (-133): 0.5u
• Draw (+300): 0.25u

Premier League title rivals Manchester City and Liverpool will renew hostilities at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. They’ve dominated English soccer over the past five years, but both teams are struggling to keep pace with Arsenal this season.

The Gunners are six points ahead of Man City and seven points clear of Liverpool after embarking on an impressive winning streak. Both of these teams will be desperate to cling onto Arsenal’s coattails, and neither can afford to lose this game. That sets the stage for a tense clash between two fierce rivals.

Liverpool appear resurgent after win over Real Madrid

Liverpool cruised to the Premier League title last season. The Reds finished 10 points clear of Arsenal and 13 ahead of Man City. They then spent a record £450m ($592m) on bolstering their squad in the summer. The sports betting sites responded by installing Liverpool as the heavy favorites to successfully defend their Premier League crown. The Reds began the season with five straight wins, but their performances were pretty unconvincing. They then lost four games in a row, suffering defeats to Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Brentford.

Liverpool also crashed out of the EFL Cup and lost to Galatasaray in the Champions League during that dismal run of results. Manager Arne Slot was under intense pressure, but he appears to have steadied the ship. His team returned to winning ways at the weekend, as it beat an out-of-sorts Aston Villa 2-0 at Anfield. Liverpool then welcomed European heavyweights Real Madrid to Merseyside on Tuesday, and Alexis Mac Allister’s goal earned them a deserved 1-0 win.

Liverpool fans can now look forward to this game with renewed optimism. While the new signings have struggled to find their feet, Liverpool’s old guard looked back to their best against Real Madrid. Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté looked strong at the back. Slot played Connor Bradley at right back and Andy Robertson at left back and they both excelled, vindicating the decision to leave summer signings Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong on the bench. Hugo Ekitike, the only new arrival that has lived up to the hype, led the line well in attack while Mohamed Salah looked dangerous. Dominik Szoboszlai has been superb this season, and the fans will be encouraged by Mac Allister’s return to form.

Haaland powers Man City’s title challenge

Man City will have their work cut out against this rejuvenated Liverpool team. However, they have won six of their last seven games in all competitions. Pep Guardiola’s men moved up to second in the Premier League table after beating a strong Bournemouth team 3-1 last weekend. They then thumped Borussia Dortmund 4-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday evening. Striker Erling Haaland was on target again, taking his tally to 27 goals in just 17 games this season. Phil Foden also scored twice and a late goal fromm Rayan Cherki completed the rout. City have been poor defensively, with no clean sheets in their last four games. They miss injured holding midfielder Rodri, as understudy Nico González doesn’t offer the defense the same level of protection.

Yet they’re always in with a chance of winning any game when Haaland is playing like this. He’s the only player to score against Arsenal from open play this season, so he won’t be daunted by the prospect of facing van Dijk and Konaté. Liverpool’s last two games have seen Under 2.5 goals, but this could be a more entertaining match. Over 3.5 goals has paid off in Man City’s last three matches, and they have enough quality to breach Liverpool’s struggling defense. City have scored in eight of their 10 league games this season, and in 14 out of 16 games in all competitions. Meanwhile, Liverpool have found the back of the net in every Premier League match since September 2024. They haven’t drawn a blank against Man City since 2020, and they won 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium last season.

It suggests both teams will score on Sunday. This could be a tight game between two evenly matched teams, as they’ll both be determined to avoid defeat. The last four games between Man City and Liverpool have seen Under 4.5 goals, so combining both teams to score with Under 4.5 goals looks appealing.