Manchester City vs. Barcelona Betting Lines and Picks
By: Phil Kitromilides
Goal.com
Barcelona head to Manchester after suffering a surprise defeat at home to Malaga on Saturday afternoon. Luis Enrique's men had been in supreme form, having won 11 successive games in all competitions, yet their 1-0 loss at the Camp Nou has seen some old questions reappear.
The Catalans created precious few chances against the well-organized Andalusians and that will be music to the ears of Manchester City, who themselves had a superb result in their last game, overwhelming Newcastle 5-0.
Therefore, Tuesday's game at the Etihad (2:45 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1) is finely-balanced and is without doubt the standout tie of the Champions League last-16 round, with CG Technology in Las Vegas pricing Barcelona as the favorites at +115 and City offered at +220 odds. The draw, meanwhile, is offered at +240, and given this could be a tight game, might attract some attention.
The sheer number of quality players on display means the natural inclination for bettors is to go OVER the 2.5-goal total, even at the -140 juice. Yet in reality, backing the reverse might be a wiser move.
Barcelona has by far the best defense in La Liga, having conceded just 14 times in the 24 league matches they have contested, and if they keep their focus, they are capable of keeping a clean sheet at the Etihad.
Manchester City, while brilliant at times, have also flattered to deceive at others, and UNDER 2.5 goals has paid out in five of their last seven matches.
Prior to their win over Newcastle, Manuel Pellegrini's men had only scored once in their previous three home games in all competitions, and perhaps City might be more concerned with keeping the Catalans at bay.
It is of course a two-legged European tie, which means that it should in theory be tighter than a one-off game. City will want to keep a clean sheet, and Barcelona will know they still have a second leg to come at the Camp Nou whatever happens. UNDER 2.5 goals (+120) pays out with a number of low-scoring results and is a shrewd option for gamblers looking to more than double their money in this headline clash.
Goal.com best bet: UNDER 2.5 goals at +120