FA Cup Final: Chelsea vs. Manchester City — Expert Picks for May 16 Match

Chelsea vs. Manchester City prediction, odds, expert picks for FA Cup Final on Saturday, May 16

SportsLine soccer expert Jon Eimer shares his best bets for Saturday's FA Cup Final between Chelsea and Manchester City

By Brandon Gustafson

May 15, 2026 at 7:00 am ET • 3 min read

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Two historic clubs meet for the FA Cup Final this Saturday, May 16, with Chelsea taking on Manchester City. Man City is the first team to make the FA Cup Final four years in a row, and they're hoping to win their first title since 2023 after losing each of the last two years. Chelsea is making its 17th FA Cup Final appearance, and they've lost each of their last three appearances, last winning in 2018.

Saturday's kickoff is set for 10 a.m. ET at London's Wembley Stadium, and the match will air live on Paramount+ . Manchester City are -135 favorites (wager $135 to win $100) on the 90-minute money line, while Chelsea are +360 underdogs (wager $100 to win $360). A draw is +300. The Over/Under for total goals scored is set at 2.5 (Over -135, Under +105). Man City is -275 to win the cup and Chelsea is +210. Before you start making your Chelsea vs. Man City picks, you have to see what SportsLine soccer expert Jon Eimer is wagering for the contest.

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Eimer finished 2023 as SportsLine's No. 1 soccer expert, posting a 248-234-12 record (+25.93 units) on SportsLine article picks. Eimer has been red-hot in 2025, posting a profit in multiple leagues, including the Premier League, Champions League, La Liga and more. Anyone following his  soccer betting  picks could have seen huge returns at  sportsbooks  and on betting apps.

Here are Eimer's best bets and analysis for Chelsea vs. Man City on Saturday, May 16.

Chelsea vs. Manchester City best bets

- Manchester City money line (-135, 1u) - Manchester City to score in the first half (-130, 1u) - Rayan Cherki to score or assist (+120, 1u)

To the Chelsea fans

I'm not going to hold back on this writeup. I believe with all my heart that Chelsea do not stand a chance in this match. People always say "It's a final, so anything can happen," and that is true -- anything could happen. Ultimately, we are all just trying to predict the future with our bets, but even in a final where anything can happen, I don't think Chelsea have near enough to deal with Manchester City.

Chelsea have been limping to the end of this season, and it's been the ugliest last couple months in recent history for this club. They managed a 1-1 draw to Liverpool last matchday, but before that they've been a punching bag in the Premier League. Even in their 1-0 win over Leeds in the semifinals, they didn't look like the better team and had luck on their side.

Chelsea are without a proper manager, playing a lineup that seems to lack discipline and form, and I don't expect them to finally fix months of problems in a final against one of the best teams on the planet.

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To the Manchester City fans

Manchester City's slip against Everton earlier this month could very well have spelled the end to their title dreams. If Arsenal manage to beat Burnley and Crystal Palace in their last two games, they will be the champions of England. While there's nothing City can do to stop that, they can focus on their own match and do their best to still bring home some silverware for their fans.

Manchester City are clearly prioritizing this final, as in their mid-week match against Crystal Palace, they rested Erling Haaland, Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, Jeremy Doku and more. This is a team that just beat Palace 3-0 without its best weapons.

I expect City to be hoisting the trophy at the end of 90 minutes. This isn't a hot take, and the -135 ML agrees with it. What is a hot take is I think City win this game easily and that the match will be pretty much over after the first half. I expect a big City victory as they take some title race frustrations out on Chelsea.

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/betting/news/chelsea-vs-manchester-city-prediction-odds-expert-picks-for-fa-cup-final-on-saturday-may-16/)._