Sunday Football Tips: Play your cards right in derby

In my experience, props punters love nothing more than cheering on the cards in a derby battle - especially if they've got a free bet.

Well, let's make the most of that scenario - Betfair are offering customers a free £2 Bet Builder on a Premier League game this weekend - and take a look at Sunday's showdown in Manchester.

The odds suggest City will win this at a canter but in the Pep Guardiola era United have, perhaps surprisingly, avoided defeat in eight of the 16 derby meetings, while they've won four of the last six at the Etihad.

With United also having won their last four league games to recover from a poor start to the season, this can be competitive - and that should bring cards.

For City, Bernardo Silva is always worth looking at in the 'player to be shown a card' market in City's big games, especially when he's up at 7/2.

The Portuguese has been carded in three of his seven league starts in this derby and it's also worth noting his record in City's other 'big rivalry' game. Against Liverpool, he's been booked in four of six.

Ref Michael Oliver booked him in his last derby appointment, while overall the Durham official has shown 21 cards across the five derbies he's taken charge of. Not huge numbers but decent enough.

On the United side, Diogo Dalot looks a prime card candidate.

He's already collected three in six Premier League matches this season and here he's going to be up against a tricky opponent - either Jack Grealish or Phil Foden, you'd imagine.

Dalot is United's leading tackler so far this season and given the footwork of his likely opponent - Grealish, in particular, is well known for drawing fouls - then I'm happy to put the right-back down for a card.

Finally, an angle worth considering comes from the set-piece stats.

Only two sides have conceded more shots from set plays than United so far, while City are well up the equivalent shots-for table, sitting fifth.

Ruben Dias is expected to start for City and he looks tempting at close to even money to have 1+ shot.

Put the three legs together and you get a tasty Bet Builder at just over 27/1.

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