At first glance Man Utd vs Newcastle might seem like one of the easier games to call from this weekend’s Premier League schedule (2pm ET Sunday).
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United are in second place in the division and, while the gap behind the leaders is a significant one, a top four finish looks a certainty. In contrast, Newcastle United have been at the wrong end of the table for much of the campaign. They are just one place above the drop zone and, with teams below them starting to show some form, they could yet be sucked into a relegation battle.
Is this as one-sided as it looks? Read on for our MUFC vs NUFC preview with picks and betting predictions for this EPL game.
The result may not be as obvious as the stats suggest for reasons which we’ll outline. Even if you disagree, there will always be some potential for value in the prop markets so let’s move on and see what the sportsbooks make of it.
MUFC vs NUFC Moneyline Odds
With the league table on their side, the Red Devils are clear favorites for the win and you can back the hosts at best industry odds of just -350.
The draw is on offer here at a general +500 while many of the top American-friendly sportsbooks are quoting +1000 on a win for Newcastle United. It all seems clear as far as the bookmakers are concerned so why are we suggesting that there could be an upset at Old Trafford?
Prior to Thursday night’s Europa League fixture with Real Sociedad, Manchester United’s form book showed three draws and two wins from their last five domestic matches. While a memorable 9-0 victory over Southampton is included in that run, a share of the points against struggling West Brom last weekend shows that Solskjaer’s men lack consistency.
If Newcastle are at the top of their game, they might just exploit the issues in United’s defense, which has conceded more goals than any other side in the top five.
EPL Game Prop Bets Worth Considering
Individual goal scorer markets are dominated by Manchester United players with Edinson Cavani installed as favorite, just ahead of Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.
Fernandes and Rashford are the club’s leading scorers this season and both men were on target in Thursday’s win over Sociedad. Portuguese midfielder Fernandes takes the penalties and set pieces so he could be the man to watch at a general +400 to score the first goal.
Goalscoring has been an issue for Newcastle this season and the man with the shortest price for the Magpies is Dwight Gayle. The striker is at a best of +1200 to open the scoring or you could take an anytime goal bet at +400.
The team props could hold the better value this time and this is one of those rare occasions where Both Teams to Score is nearing the +100 mark, well actually just below at -105. Newcastle are expected to struggle in front of goal but they have scored seven times in their last five matches and have found the net in four of those games.
Those figures could offer some pointers in the Total Goals betting where staking over the 2.5 line brings a modest best price of -163. It should be a day to push that a little higher and Over 3.5 is available at +125 or we could be brave and head to Over 4.5 at +333.
To round off, we can look at some Correct Score options and those who expect a comfortable 90 minutes for the hosts could take Manchester United 4 Newcastle United 1 at +1400. Alternatively, those who think NUFC can get something out of this game may want to consider the 2-2 draw at a tempting best of +2500.
Our Premier League Match Preview’s MUFC vs NUFC Predictions & Betting Picks Verdict
While there is a temptation to opt for a draw in this game, we think that Manchester United will have enough to get across the line. Newcastle’s overall form isn’t strong enough, even though there was a notable win at Everton included in their last five matches.
As for the home side, it is fair to say that the Red Devils’ form is ‘mixed’. While the club did drop points against West Brom, there are those comfortable wins against Southampton and Real Sociedad to consider.
So we’ll take the home win but, at the very least, we expect the game to be closer than the betting sites expect. For the prop bets, Bruno Fernandes is in a stunning run of form and we’ll back the Portuguese midfielder to open the scoring.
Newcastle should look to attack as it is the only way that they will get anything from this game so we’ll add in Both Teams to Score. Over 3.5 goals is the place to be for some good value odds: The Magpies can help to get that bet over the line but Manchester United are likely to have the edge at Old Trafford.
So our predictions and betting picks for this Man Utd vs Newcastle preview are:
- Bruno Fernandes to score the first goal @ betting odds of +400 (4/1) with Bovada or Intertops.
- Both Teams to Score @ -105 with Bovada or Intertops.
- Over 3.5 goals at +140 @ Bovada. It is +135 with Intertops.
Matt Harris is a golf and soccer expert for USA Betting. His other area of specialist knowledge is cricket. He is well known in sports journalism and contributes articles to a plethora of big-name websites and media outlets. Titles that he writes or has written for include: Betfair, BetVictor, Unibet & Just Bookies.