Manchester City is a -200 favorite and Sunderland is a +600 underdog in Soccer Betting Odds.

One of the major strengths for Manchester City all season has been defense. That starts with goalie Joe Hart, who has allowed just 27 goals in 30 games. Hart has kept Manchester City in nearly every game this season. Because of him, Manchester City is not easy to beat. Offensively, Carlos Tevez is the biggest threat. He leads the team with 18 goals and 106 shots. He has three times as many goals as anyone else on the team.

For Sunderland, Simon Mignolet and Craig Gordon have split duties in goal. Mignolet has made the past three starts. He has given up four goals in those starts. However, that is far from the weakest area. Sunderland has struggled offensively, especially in recent games. They have not scored a goal in their last three EPL games. Thanks to an inept offense, they are winless in their last six games. That has kept them from moving up the standings.

Sunderland defeated Manchester City 1-0 in their first meeting earlier this season. For them to do that again, Sunderland needs a strong showing from either goalie. Sunderland cannot match the attack that Manchester City has, and it will be difficult for them to score. The team that scores first should get the win in this match.

Chelsea recently suffered their second loss of the season to struggling Liverpool. It was the third time in six games that they have been scoreless. Florent Malouda and Didier Drogba lead the way for the Chelsea offense. Chelsea leads the EPL with 27 goals so far this season. On the other side, they have allowed a league low five goals. Petr Cech has been amazing in goal. He has allowed just those five goals in eleven games.

For Sunderland, goalie Simon Mignolet has been solid but not spectacular. He has given up twelve goals in eleven games for the team. The offense has been more problematic. Darren Bent has six goals, but as a team Sunderland only has eleven goals on the season. For them to move up the standings, they will need to improve significantly on offense.

Chelsea took the two meetings last season with ease, including a 7-2 win at home. Sunderland is much improved on defense, but they need a lot of work on offense. Playing at home, Chelsea should win this game. With other teams on their heels, Chelsea can’t afford to overlook this team. For their part, Sunderland hopes to stretch their offense to catch Chelsea off guard.

At home, Wigan has a respectable 3-3-4 record and looks to improve on that mark. Wigan has taken 124 shots on goal, averaging nearly six per match. That offense is led by Hugo Rodallega who takes one-third of all shots on goal. Wigan’s downside is that they have been outscored at a two to one clip.

Sunderland looks to be the aggressor here, led by Darren Brent. He has 14 goals in 23 matches and his off-sides number shows his aggressiveness. Also, Sunderland has added Manchester City striker Mwaruwari and two defenders to steady the roster.

Look for Sunderland to carry the day in this match. The offense is more aggressive and the defense is a bit stouter. Sunderland has surrendered seven fewer goals in one less match and has scored eight more goals than Wigan. The edge in this match goes to Sunderland.