The headliner of the Premier League's opening weekend will take place in North London, with reigning champions Manchester City visiting Tottenham Hotspur.
City have once again bolstered their squad considerably this summer, while the best business by Spurs may just be a transfer they didn't do (yet).
Read on for our Tottenham vs. Manchester City tips and predictions for August 15.
Tottenham vs Manchester City game info
• Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, England
• Date: Sunday, August 15, 2021
• Time: 11:30 a.m. ET
• TV: NBCSN, DAZN
Tottenham vs Manchester City betting tips
- Manchester City (-167)
- Manchester City -1.5 (+167)
Read on for complete analysis
Tottenham vs Manchester City match odds
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Tottenham vs Manchester City betting preview
Weather
Spurs and Manchester City will have good conditions on a clear day in North London, with temperatures expected around 70 degrees Fahrenheit with 60 percent humidity at kickoff on Sunday.
Injuries
Tottenham: Harry Kane (Questionable), Ryan Sessegnon (Out), Cristian Romero (Out).
Manchester City: Phil Foden (Out), Kevin De Bruyne (Out).
Tottenham vs Manchester City predictions
Side pick
A nightmare offseason finally comes to a close for Tottenham but, unfortunately, they will awaken from that nightmare just in time for a date with the champions. Spurs have been through a seemingly never-ending managerial search, conducted little business and, worst of all, face an uncertain future around captain and reigning Golden Boot winner Harry Kane. However, while Spurs' fortunes for the new season hang in the balance, the Premier League rolls on and City head to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
City are fresh off possibly their most dominant title yet, as they followed a slow start to last season with a 28-match unbeaten run (in all competitions) and eventually won the title by 12 points. All they have done since then is make Jack Grealish the most expensive English transfer in history, spending 100 million pounds on the former Aston Villa talisman.
So, while some may see a shorthanded City squad coming to London Sunday — as a considerable amount of their squad were at Euro 2020 and thus behind in preseason preparation — they're still an absurdly talented group led by the best manager in the world. They'll likely win against Spurs with ease despite missing two of the most talented attackers in the league, Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne, and they may yet add Kane in another record-breaking transfer.
No team in England is capable of beating Manchester City on their best day, and even on a poor day, the list of teams who could take advantage is short. City may not be at full strength yet but against Spurs, it won't matter.
PICK: Manchester City (-167)
Alternate line pick
A tumultuous managerial search for Spurs was guided by their own claim that the next Tottenham manager would return the club to their DNA of an expansive, attacking style of play after Jose Mourinho's ill-fated hire. That idea went out the window upon settling on former Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo who, while a successful manager, tends to set up defensively and have his teams sit deep in their own defensive half.
That passive approach is asking for trouble against a Pep Guardiola team, as at their best they are capable of fizzing the ball around in rapid fashion and breaking down even the deepest defensive lines with intelligent patterns of play.
That was the case last season, when City tore Wolves apart in 3-1 and 4-1 wins on either end of the Premier League season. Without their new addition at center-back Cristian Romero, who is set to play a major part for Spurs this year, Tottenham will have little hope of avoiding a similar fate to Wolves. The Citizens will win in a resounding fashion to begin their new campaign.
PICK: Manchester City -1.5 (+167)
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