During this soccer season, Doc’s Sports Service has teamed up with Strike Point Sports and Raphael Esparza (Vegas Sports Informer), two of the top soccer handicappers, to provide weekly free soccer picks for English Premier League, MLS and Champions League matches. Check back each week for a new free pick. This week, Strike Point Sports has a free play on a side in the Southampton vs. Manchester City.

Following a promising start to this year’s campaign, Southampton will be limping in to this weekend’s match against title favorites Manchester City. Manuel Pellegrini’s squad has left much to be desired on the pitch away from home this year, while at Etihad Stadium they look able to score at will. This game will be the team’s second away game this week following a midweek win against West Brom, 3-2.

Southampton vs. Manchester City Betting Story Lines

Southampton plays its second home game this week following a 2-3 loss against a mid-table Aston Villa squad. What started out as a very bright season has seen the Saints drop three in a row and fall to eighth in the standings, albeit two of those three losses came from Arsenal and Chelsea squads, that sit, respectively, at one and two in the table.

It is truly a tale of two cities for Manchester as their away form has been abysmal at times while they have looked unstoppable at home. However, the squad will be looking to improve on their 3-2 win against West Brom and will be hungry to notch only their third away win on Saturday at St. Mary’s Stadium.

Southampton vs. Manchester City Betting Odds and Trends

Manchester is available at -.5 (-140) while Southampton is +.5 (+110) at Bovada. On three-way wagering a draw is listed at +275 with the underdogs available at +400. The total of 2.5 is listed with the “over” priced at -125 and the “under” priced at -105.

Both teams are prone to goal scoring; in the last twelve combined matches for these squads, ‘over’ 2.5 has hit eight times. In their last five home matches, Southampton has tallied 12 goals.

Overall in City’s last six Premier League matches, the team has scored 20 goals, a breakneck pace of over three goals per game. Keep in mind, only four came during the team’s three away games, but this week’s earlier away fixture counted for three of the four. Manchester City has kept a clean sheet just once in away fixtures this year. For Southampton, in the last six matches they have held only one team scoreless, which was an offensively-challenged Fulham, and they failed to score just once in those six games.

Take Southampton/Manchester City OVER 2.5 (10 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 7)

Two of the best attacking units in the Premier League square off, and the Saints and Blues could both benefit from three points here. City have been awful away this season, but one thing about this side is they are good for one or two goals nearly every match. And Southampton at home is a reliable unit as well to produce some offensive football going forward. I think it’d be hard to have either kept off the scoresheet in this one. We’ll peg the final score to be 2-2 and have these two play over the total.

Strike Point Sports has won both of its free picks listed on Doc’s Sports, including last week’s over 2.5 in the Cardiff/ Manchester United match that ended 2-2.  Strike Point will have more winning picks posted on Friday for this upcoming Saturday and Sunday. Sign up for soccer picks here.