Premier League Game of the Week: Manchester City and Chelsea have points to prove

Premier League title races are marathons, not sprints; we've seen plenty of contenders start out strong only to flag as the season goes on. (Sorry, Arsenal fans, we know it's still fresh.) Ten months. 38 games. Wild variations in weather and atmosphere. Flying tackles from Cristian Romero. The teams that survive aren't always the flashiest or most creative on paper. They're the ones who find consistency in the chaos.

Man City vs. Chelsea, Saturday, Feb. 17, 12:30 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock

Consistency. It's is the word on everyone's lips as we enter into the business end of the Premier League season with three legitimate title challengers all vying for the top spot. Liverpool is in pole position, Arsenal has the momentum, but it's Manchester City who has proven itself capable of consistency, and therefore it's Manchester City who looks most likely to win. Nothing — not an injury to its star playmaker, not 115 pending financial abuse charges, not even a quick detour to Saudi Arabia for a meaningless mid-season cup competition — has rattled City in the long run.

The only thing that flummoxed City this season — beyond a tricky Aston Villa side that frankly also seemed to flummox itself — was Chelsea FC. And it stands to reason, because Chelsea is everything City is not. It's the hedge fund to City's sovereign wealth, the anarchy to its order, the big swing to its marginal gains. Chelsea is inscrutable to all of us, but it's especially inscrutable to a club like City. 

That played out when these two teams met last November. What started as a City training exercise devolved into a wild, wonderful 4-4 draw, capped off by a last minute equalizer from Chelsea's ex-City striker Cole Palmer. It was one of the most entertaining games we've seen all season, and there's reason to believe that this reverse fixture could top it. City, after all, is chasing consistency — and it'll have to get through Chelsea's screaming, lawless lineup of underperforming stars to find it. What could go wrong? Only just about everything.

Here's what we're keeping an eye on as these two teams meet once again:

Result / Both Teams to Score. City should win this one with ease, so we're looking beyond the moneyline for value bets in this fixture. Chelsea's recent goalscoring form is intriguing; it has scored in every single one of its Premier League matches since mid-December, and often multiple times. We like a City victory with at least one Chelsea goal at +160 for this reason.

Goals and Assists. Chelsea's much-hyped, oft-absent French striker Christopher Nkunku resurfaced this week against Crystal Palace and blew the roof off the place. At +240 to score or assist, we think he's a great bet for this match. On the City side, we're keeping an eye on midfielder Rodri, who found the back of the net against Chelsea last time and always looks dangerous against the Blues. He's at +160 to score or assist. 

Shots on Target. City's Belgian winger Jeremy Doku has impressed this season with his clever build-up play and quick shots. While he's more apt to create chances for others than find the back of the net himself, we can see him slaloming through Chelsea's aging defense and having a go for once. He's at +110 to have >.5 shots on target; we think that's a steal given the circumstances.