Manchester City vs Bournemouth Prediction: Evanilson at it again

Manchester City's disappointing season continued on Saturday as they lost 1-0 to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final. Still, Pep Guardiola's side must regroup quickly as they face AFC Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday (20:00, Sky Sports Main Event).

The Citizens must avoid defeat against the Cherries to move back into the Premier League's top five and ensure Uefa Champions League qualification is in their own hands. Below are my Manchester City vs Bournemouth predictions, complete with all the latest team news and match odds.

Team News

Man City midfielder and current Ballon d'Or holder Rodri tore his ACL early in September and only returned to training last month, but Guardiola has suggested he has a slight chance of making the matchday squad against Bournemouth.

On whether any injured players could return on Tuesday, the Man City head coach said: "We'll see. Some players are better. Rodri is even better day by day, we'll see..."

Oscar Bobb (hamstring) and Nathan Ake (foot) are also back in training, but like Rodri, they weren't included in the squad at Wembley on Saturday.

John Stones (thigh) has been out injured since late February, and it appears unlikely he will return before the season's end.

Midfielder Mateo Kovacic is a doubt after missing Saturday's game with an unspecified fitness issue, while 19-year-old Claudio Echeverri, who made his City debut at Wembley, could make his first Premier League appearance.

Football Odds

In terms of changes to Saturday's starting XI, we can expect Ederson Moraes to replace Stefan Ortega between the sticks, while Matheus Nunes, Ilkay Gundogan and Phil Foden will also be hopeful of promotions from the bench.

Rico Lewis and James McAtee were both left out of the squad on Saturday, but the City Academy graduates could be involved in some capacity against Palace.

Kevin De Bruyne will play his final home match ahead of his summer departure from the club.

Ryan Christie, Dango Ouattara (both groin), Luis Sinisterra (hamstring) and Enes Unal (knee) all miss out again for Bournemouth, whose head coach Andoni Iraola must make at least one alteration to the starting XI that lined up for their 1-0 home defeat to Aston Villa 10 days ago.

Alex Scott suffered a broken jaw in that game, and his season could be over.

Justin Kluivert replaced the 21-year-old at half-time against Villa, and the Dutchman is an obvious candidate to start in his place on Tuesday.

Manchester City vs Bournemouth Odds

Man City boast a terrific record against Bournemouth, winning 16 of their last 17 meetings dating back to October 2015, although the Cherries did get the better of the Citizens in the reverse league fixtures back in November, triumphing 2-1 on the South Coast.

Tuesday's hosts are 2/5 to avenge that defeat with a victory at the Etihad, implying a 71.4% probability, while the visitors are 7/1, or a 12.5% chance, to secure a first-ever win at the stadium.

The draw is priced at 4/1, both teams to score at 4/6, and over 3.5 total goals at 6/5.

If you fancy De Bruyne to mark his Etihad swansong in style, you can back him to score anytime at 21/10, first at 15/2, and last at 15/2.

Both Teams To Score & Total Goals Over/Under +2.5 - Yes & Over 2.5 @ 10/11

Bournemouth's recent games haven't featured many goals, with a 1-1, two 1-0's and a goalless draw in their last five, although three red cards in that run - one to the Cherries, two to the opposition - haven't helped.

Still, I'm hopeful of a few strikes on Tuesday, with the two previous head-to-heads this season producing three, and both teams getting on the scoresheet.

In the reverse league fixture, Bournemouth won 2-1 at the Vitality Stadium, where City reversed the scoreline in the FA Cup quarter-finals on March 30.

Both teams to score and over 2.5 total goals has landed in four of City's last six Etihad games, and eight of Bournemouth's last nine away trips in the league.

Iraola's side have to win on Tuesday to keep up their pursuit of an eighth-place finish that could earn a spot in Europe next season, so I don't see any reason for the Cherries to be cautious here, not they are even in normal circumstances.

City, meanwhile, can move into third with a win, overtaking Aston Villa, Chelsea and Newcastle United in the race for Champions League football, and a victory would mean they only need a draw on the final day this Sunday to achieve a top-five finish.

As a result, I think we could see some entertainment served up in East Manchester on Tuesday.

Price Boosts - Evanilson (BOU) to Score at Anytime @ 5/2 7/2

It's been an encouraging first season in England for Evanilson, who joined Bournemouth in a club-record deal from FC Porto last summer.

The 25-year-old has scored 12 goals in 32 appearances for the Cherries, netting 10 times in 29 Premier League outings.

Evanilson has also shown his big-game credentials, scoring the winner in a 2-1 victory at Arsenal earlier this month, adding to the two goals he has to his name against City.

The Brazilian striker struck Bournemouth's second in their 2-1 league win last November, and opened the scoring against the Citizens in their 2-1 FA Cup defeat in March.

Betfred have boosted Evanilson to score anytime on Tuesday from 5/2 to 7/2, and given City's frailties at the back, which were on show at Wembley on Saturday, I think he's worth backing to net in a third consecutive appearance against Guardiola's charges.

Offers

Double Delight & Hat-Trick Heaven: Get double or treble the odds if your winning First Goalscorer bet scores a 2nd and 3rd

Acca Flex: Place a pre-match 5+ leg Football accumulator and get a CASH bonus up to 100% if all of your selections win or your money back as CASH if one leg lets you down

You can read all our latest Football Betting Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights content hub.