Kickoff for the EFL League Cup Round of 16 match between Manchester City and Liverpool is set for 3:00pm ET on Thursday, December 22 at the Etihad.
City advanced to this round by defeating Chelsea in the third round of the EFL Cup, while Liverpool advanced by edging Derby County in a penalty shootout.
Below OKBET Football Betting, we take a look at the odds for Manchester City vs. Liverpool in the EFL Cup and provide some analysis, team news, and predictions.
Manchester City vs Liverpool Odds
| Matchup | Moneyline |
|---|---|
| Manchester City | -104 |
| Liverpool | +280 |
| Draw | +270 |
With a -104 betting spread and a 51% estimated win probability, Man City is the clear favorite. Liverpool are underdogs for a change at +280, with an estimated probability of 26%. The odds of a draw at the end of 90 minutes are +270, which corresponds to an implied chance of 27%.
Over/Under and Spread
Under 2.5 goals is favored by barstool bettors at +140, while over is listed at -177.
Manchester City vs Liverpool Preview
City has recently dominated the English Football League Cup, winning it five times in the previous nine seasons, including a streak of four straight from 2018 to 2021. The past several seasons have been trophy-laden under Pep Guardiola, but this year might be different.
Even if several players have yet to reemerge from international service in Qatar, it seems probable that a mixed side will take the field against Liverpool, as City is presently in second position in the EPL, five points behind Arsenal.
Haaland and De Bruyne Leading the Charge
Guardiola only played one friendly over the break, a 2-0 victory over Girona that saw goals from Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne since most of his team was away on international duty.
Those two superstars will spearhead the attack against Liverpool, with the remainder of the team consisting of benchwarmers and prospects from City’s prestigious youth program.
After advancing to the fourth round of the EFL Cup, City was eliminated by West Ham on penalties.
Manchester City vs Liverpool Head-to-Head Stats
| 9 | No of League Cup Finals | 13 |
| 8 | No of Trophy Wins | 9 |
| 10-2-2 | EPL Record 202-23 | 6-4-4 |
| 2nd | Current EPL position | 6th |
| WWWWLW | Form guide (all comps.) | WWDWLW |
Penalty Success for Reds
Liverpool capitalized on Man City’s early elimination from this tournament last season and made it all the way to the final. It was a nail-biter until the end, but we prevailed 11-10 on penalties against Chelsea in the championship game.
The Reds had a perfect 4-0 record going into the World Cup break, and this draw required them to survive yet another penalty shootout, this time against Derby County. The Liverpool players that stayed in Dubai instead of going to Qatar played in the Dubai Super Cup, where they lost 3-1 to Lyon but then dominated AC Milan, 4-1.
Salah the Hero Back in October
The two teams have already played once this season, in the middle of October, a game won by a second-half goal from Mo Salah. As both squads are currently short players, next night’s matchup will feature two drastically different lineups, but the stakes are just as high as ever.
Jurgen Klopp will expect a strong showing from his team and will view this as another opportunity to dampen Guardiola’s trophy aspirations in what is already a massive rivalry.
Manchester City vs Liverpool Team Lineups and Injuries
Man City Projected Lineup: Ortega, Lewis, Katongo, Charles, Gomez, Palmer, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Mahrez, Haaland, Borges.
Injuries & absences: Rodri, Laporte, Akanji, Ake.
Liverpool Projected Lineup: Kelleher, Ramsay, Gomez, Phillips, Tsimikas, Elliott, Bajcetic, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Salah, Firmino, Carvalho.
Injuries & absences: Konate, van Dijk, Jota, Diaz.
Manchester City vs Liverpool Prediction
While City are the early betting favorites, it appears like Liverpool will be able to play a stronger lineup due to injuries. Given the importance of cup experience, I think the best value is in betting on a City victory in under 90 minutes.