The modern age of sports has a distinct way of mirroring life in general. Since time immemorial, generational families have largely stayed in the same place decade after decade building traditions, feasting during the holidays, and creating lasting memories.
However, in the modern age, families are often scattered thousands of miles away from each other, which blurs traditions and minimizes the importance of shared memories. This same exact progression can be seen in modern sports. Whereas local homegrown rivalries used to dominate the sports scene, today’s sports leagues have realigned their divisions, altered playoff structures, and shuffled team locales.
Due to the fact that almost every modern sports team is shadowed by a profit-hunting corporation in the background, traditions and rivalries seem to have taken a backseat to revenues and profiteering.
As a result, genuinely contentious rivalries and emotional competitions are far and few between because the modern money machine has muddied the waters of sports tradition almost everywhere you look.
However, there are still a few outstanding rivalries out there teeming with the same heartfelt sentiment and passion that once was.
Enter the West Ham vs Manchester City rivalry…
The Rivalry
The West Ham United professional football club lays claim to Stratford, East London, England as its home. The club played its home matches at the Boleyn Ground stadium from 1904 to 2015, after which they moved to the much newer London Stadium. Manchester City FC, on the other hand, is located further north in the UK in the city of Manchester. The club spent the better part of a century playing at the Maine Road stadium before moving to the City of Manchester Stadium in 2003.
After a century of heated on-field battles, fights amongst fans, contentious player transfers, media bouts, and unspoken insults, this rivalry is still swarming with powerful emotions. Watching the matches is memorable, to say the least, as rivalries tend to bring out the best of both sides. But when it comes to Premier League betting and rivalries in particular, you should be extra careful if you plan on placing a wager.
Betting on These Types of Rivalries
Apart from keeping track of player transfers, match odds, coaching styles, and past fixture results, it’s also important to be wary of up-to-date club news and over/under listings as well. But when it comes to gambling on the outcome of rivalries, you’ll have to apply a more nuanced approach.
Every facet of a football match is intensified when a rivalry between two teams is in question. You’ll want to assess match results between the two specific teams over the past decade rather than just looking at past fixtures in general. Additionally, you’ll want to pay extra close attention to the line movement, which is created by odds-makers.
This will allow you to critically assess the impact of particular bits of news as they pertain to the outcome of the match. In rivalries, home field advantage takes on an entirely new meaning as well. The intensity of the crowd is one of the hallmarks of any rivalry as it tends to be louder, more rambunctious, and charged with palpable expectations above and beyond a regular match.
As fans continue fanning the flames of their favourite rivalries, you must continue taking a wise approach to your betting strategies. Rivalries offer you the chance to get the most for your money, but they also tend to be somewhat hectic and unpredictable, so it’s important to stay level headed.
