City at 77 percent with the draw at 16 and Sunderland at 9 is the standard shape for a heavy home favorite in the Premier League, where the tie always carries real weight and a promoted side rarely gets priced under 10. City opened the season winning at Bournemouth and then 4-1 at Crystal Palace, and they've since added a win over Coventry, a 2-0 at Porto and a 1-0 derby result at Manchester United. Maresca's group has been scoring in bunches and keeping clean sheets, which is what justifies the number. The fade is fixture congestion, with a Champions League schedule stacking up, and one flat afternoon at the Etihad turning three points into one.
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